Dangerous Instincts
by Sailor Elf
Summary: Someone's following the Fellowship. They soon find out that the stories of old have a ring of truth to them... along with a vengence. Meanwhile, Legolas has to face the reality that confronts him. Set during FotR.
1. Arrival at Rivendell

Disclaimer-No one from Lord of the Rings belongs to me. No way, no how. (Darn. I want Legolas! Well, it's someone I have to live without...) Nanaylia belongs to me and so does any other original character.  
  
Summary-Someone's following the Fellowship. They soon find out that the stories of old have a ring of truth to them... along with a vengence. Meanwhile, Legolas has to face the reality that confronts him.

Author's Note-The story's more movieverse than bookverse. Sorry to all you book fans. And I don't know how often I'm going to be updating since I recently got a job and I'm working most days. Just to warn you.

###  
  
Dangerous Instincts  
  
"You can not be serious! You and Elladan were talking about a truce when we saw each other last?" Legolas had to ask, not believeing what he was hearing.  
  
"Yes, we did. He said that he would talk to Elrohir and I said that I would talk to you. Then the next time we met, we would talk to them about it. I think they feel a bit angry since we have always done better in all the wars," Nanaylia had to reply as they led their horses towards Rivendell.  
  
The buildings of Rivendell were slowly coming into view of the two elven siblings. They smiled at the sight. They had not been to Rivendell for several months. One reason was that the twins had recently stayed at their home for six months after an incident that had thrown the Mirkwood siblings and their father into another world.  
  
"Nanay, I have to ask you something," Legolas told her, lowering his head slightly.  
  
"Sure Lego, what is it?" she wondered, becoming inwardly nervous on what it would be.  
  
"Is there something wrong? Is there anything you would like to tell me?" he asked her as he stopped the horse.  
  
Nanaylia also stopped her horse and turned to look at her brother.  
  
"No, why do you ask?" she replied, paling a little.  
  
Legolas noticed this but decided not to say anything about that at the moment. He continued on.  
  
"I am unsure. It is just that lately, you have not seemed to be quite yourself. It is as if something is wrong. You almost seem to have a bit more glow in your face," he told her as he started the horse back up. "Are you sure there is nothing you would like to tell me?"  
  
Nanaylia followed him again. She didn't know what to say to him as she stared at the ground and Legolas noticed this as well.  
  
"Everything is alright Legolas," she soon replied.

He didn't believe her and he decided to ask Elrond something later if he could.

###  
  
"You cannot be serious Elladan! A truce? With those two?" demanded Elrohir. "I can really see that happening!"  
  
"Yes. I expect them to be here soon because of what our father has planned and we are all going to talk about it once they arrive," Elladan replied as they headed down to the outskirts of the city so they could greet the Mirkwood siblings.  
  
"Even better, we do not have to wait long for them. Perfect," Elrohir snorted. "I do not remember being this angry since before I realized Narcissis and Nanaylia were the same person. You do remember how upset I was about how Narcissis injured Legolas."  
  
"I remember all too well but that was 15 years ago. They are our friends you know. They have been for quite some time now," Elladan sighed as he shook his head. "Even though Nanaylia was under evil influence for a long time, several centuries. And you know that she did not realize what she was doing, with all her memories erased. She did not remember us or her brother. Well, she remembered she had a brother but didn't realize that Legolas was it!"  
  
They looked out over the balcony at the people below them. They soon saw two of the hobbits that recently arrived in Rivendell with Aragorn. The twins could tell the two were worried for their friend. The fourth hobbit stayed beside their stricken friend.  
  
"Hobbits. They are an amazing people," murmured Elladan.  
  
"That they are. We do not see too many of them," agreed Elrohir.  
  
Their gaze soon came to the entrance of their home to see two familiar figures walking through. They both smiled at the sight.  
  
"Nanaylia and Legolas are here. It is about time," Elladan said as he looked at his brother.  
  
The two hurried down to greet them.  
  
"Elladan, Elrohir! It is so good to see you again," Legolas told them, his arms out.

"It has only been a number of months since we last saw each other, when we returned from our visit in Mirkwood," Elladan said, thinking about the last time the four of them met. "I never imagined seeing the two of you again so soon. But I guess with recent events, you were requested to be here."

"The two of you could not stay away after that incident about seven months ago," Legolas laughed.

"Which one? The one where the two of you and your father went to another world or the one where we all got severly injured after one of our wars?" Elladan had to ask for he forgot.

Legolas rolled his eyes at the statement before answering.

"The one where my father, Nanaylia and I went to that other world," replied Legolas.

"It is good to see you again as well but I have a question to ask you Legolas. What is this about a truce?" wondered Elrohir as he looked at Legolas.  
  
Elladan and Nanaylia began to slowly back away from their respective brother but both saw the glares they were receiving so they stopped. Nanaylia lowered her head.  
  
"I will not agree to a truce!" Elrohir almost yelled out at his brother.  
  
"Neither will I. It is not my fault those twins are sore losers and even since they are not as good as we are, I really doubt they will call a truce! I know them all too well! Especially Elrohir! They will not quit for anyone or anything! Not even us!" Legolas sternly told his sister. "Besides, I think if they wanted a truce, they would tell me themselves and not send my sister as a messenger."  
  
"Well, at the time, it was a good idea," Nanaylia sighed as she looked at Elladan, who nodded in agreement.  
  
The four sighed and headed inside to be joined by Aragorn. He smiled once he saw them.  
  
"How are things in Mirkwood now?" wondered Aragorn.  
  
"Good. Everyone knows now to stay away from the 'Dark Forest'. They wondered why when we told them, before we reintroduced them to Nanaylia. We told them she was in there the entire time because of the people who lurked in those woods," explained Legolas. "Yet they do not know the entire story. To my knowledge, none of them have wondered why either. They believe that she was simply a prisoner there.""  
  
"That's good to hear," Aragorn said with a smile. "So the people don't know what Nanaylia is capable of yet?"  
  
"No, they do not. We do not intend to tell them. They do not need to know what she is able to do. They will only become afraid of the possibilities of what she is capable of doing. We are greatly afraid on what they will think of her if they did," replied Legolas.  
  
"Oh yes, by the way. The One Ring has been found," added Elrohir.  
  
"What? The One Ring has been found? How?" wondered Nanaylia, obviously curious.  
  
"It had found its way into the hands of a hobbit. There are four of them here. We expect a representative for men to arrive as well as one for a dwarf so you better not try to perform any magic while they are still here," suggested Elladan. "I believe it will look bad for us if you do."  
  
"Alright, I can handle that," she replied with a small smile. "After all, I do not want the whole of Middle Earth to know. My father really does not want everyone to know but he still loves me."  
  
The five smiled at each other as they began to walk towards the rooms where Legolas and Nanaylia were to stay in for the time.  
  
They soon came across Gandalf. He heard their laughing and turned to look at the five of them. His stare soon came to Nanaylia and he narrowed his eyes. He was getting strange feelings from the female elf among them.  
  
"Who are you?" he quietly wondered and the elves heard him.  
  
"Gandalf! You mean you do not remember Nanaylia?" wondered Legolas as he gave a laugh.  
  
"Nanaylia? Oh, Nanaylia! I didn't recognize you! It is so good to see you again! Where have you been all this time?" smiled Gandalf, glancing between the brother and sister.  
  
"I had been taken prisoner by someone my family had trusted but my father and brother did not realize it. It was not until only several years ago that I was freed from my captor's grasp and returned to be with my family," she replied.  
  
Gandalf nodded, understanding before watching them leave. He gave a sigh for he was greatly wondering what was giving him such strange feelings about someone that he had known about for many centuries.

_'Why am I getting such an evil feeling from her?'_ he thought to himself. _'I have known her family since before she disappeared. I do not understand this. What is the matter with this scene?' _

He continued to stare at the female elf and her companions.

"What type of sorcery is at work here?" he muttered.

TBC...


	2. Many Conversations

The group of five walked up to Elrond, who smiled once he saw the two Mirkwood elves.  
  
"Legolas, Nanaylia, it is so good to see the two of you again. Are you handling something alright yet?" he asked Nanaylia, referring to the magic capability.  
  
"I have some control over it. I will have to practice some more," she replied with a smile, knowing what he was talking about and remembering the incident that happened severl months earlier.

She figured that Elladan, Elrohir and Arwen must have told their father about it but she didn't mind. She was hoping that no one else besides them and those from Lothlorien knew about it.  
  
"Good. Legolas, the council I summoned you for will be soon. The hobbit that was recently brought here has awoken," Elrond told him.  
  
"Alright. I will be ready for it," Legolas said, nodding his head.  
  
"What about me? Why am I here again?" wondered Nanaylia, becoming slightly suspicious. "I would like to know. I was certain that I would be joining you in this council."  
  
"You are here to be company for your brother. It is your brother we requested for," Elrond told her, a cautious look spreading over his face.  
  
"Well, he is not going to this council without me!" protested Nanaylia as she stepped before the Lord of Rivendell.  
  
Elrond sighed as he looked over her. She was the same elf he always knew. She was stubborn and relentless until she got her way. He looked at the angry stare on her face, her hands on her hips.  
  
"Alright, you can join us but you can only listen to what is being said. No more," Elrond replied in a stern voice.  
  
He couldn't believe that he let her have her way. Of course, this was the first time that he did so since her return but he had seen her at work with her father while he was visiting Mirkwood or when the Mirkwood elves were in Rivendell. He gave a sigh as he left the group.  
  
"The things I have been agreeing to lately," he muttered under his breath. "I cannot believe that I just agreed to that. But I have to give Nanaylia something. She has not really had her way in centuries."

###  
  
Frodo stepped out onto the balcony and looked out over the land of Rivendell. He was glad to be in a safe haven. He wondered how things were going to turn now. He knew the ring had to be destroyed and he also knew about the subjects that were going to be discussed in the upcoming council.  
  
"This place is amazing," he whispered to himself as he heard voices below him.  
  
He looked downwards to see two elves running around. He could see Strider nearby and he was laughing at them. Also nearby, were two other elves. They appeared to be twins in his eyes.  
  
"Lego! That is not fair! Come back here!" cried the female elf.  
  
"Everything is fair in this war," replied the male elf near her, laughing.  
  
"No, that is where you are wrong. Very wrong. In the war with Elladan and Elrohir, everything is fair," she replied as she chased after him.  
  
"Hey! I thought you said a truce was a good idea!" cried one of the twins.  
  
"But remember dear Elladan, it was your idea at the time, not mine! I only agreed with it to make you happy since you and your brother seem to lose all the time to us! We will always win!" she told him, a laugh in her voice.  
  
"The one we had six months ago was not funny at all. Remember that one?" wondered Elrohir.  
  
"No, it was not funny but the one before that was the best ever, I think," replied Legolas as he laughed.  
  
The twins growled at them, upset on what they were hearing. It appeared to Legolas that Elladan was very angry with Nanaylia for what they had said.  
  
"Did you have to bring that one up? I think we would have more since that one if it were not for Manlin. He ruined our fun in more ways than one," Elrohir retorted.  
  
"Oh come on now. Sure, he did ruin our fun in that aspect but the results are even better than before! Now I have got something that you do not know when I am going to use!" laughed Nanaylia as she hurried away from the group.  
  
"Nanaylia, you are crazy," Strider called after her.  
She stopped several feet away and turned to stare at them. She placed her hands on her hips.  
  
"So are you. Even though I have not known you as long as the troubled twins here," she told him.

"I can't imagine what life was like with these two long before I was born," he said.

"You don't want to know. We would try and outdo each other all the time," Legolas replied.  
  
Nanaylia looked over at her brother with a cautious eye. Legolas laughed as he walked towards her.  
  
"Come on. You need to get away from these three and calm down," he told her with a laugh still in his voice, placing a hand on her arm.  
  
She looked at him with an 'are you my father?' type look before agreeing with his request and the two walked towards their room.  
  
Frodo was curious on who the two blonde elves were. They appeared to be related to him before he walked back into the room. He was also curious to know about the two elven twins.

###  
  
Legolas walked down the hallway, a book in his hands. He was reading it as he was heading to meet Lord Elrond for he requested to do so. He had snuck his sister's book away from her room and she didn't realize it had been missing yet. He could tell since she was not screaming his name, trying to find him, looking for it yet. He expected for it to be coming soon.  
  
Soon, he could hear someone walking in the hall, heading towards him. Through his elven ears, he could tell that this figure was a man. He knew it wasn't Aragorn and that he had just left him. Legolas stopped and another strange man walked up to him.  
  
"Greetings," said the man with a small smile on his face.  
  
"Greetings to you as well," replied Legolas as he placed the book behind his back so the man wouldn't see it.  
  
The man noticed this and wondered what the book was about. Legolas noticed that the man was curious about the book.  
  
"It is a book of my sister's. She left it in one of the rooms here. I was just taking it back to her," Legolas explained to him, still holding the book behind his back.  
  
He knew it was written in a form of Elvish but he wasn't sure whether or not this man understood the language or not. He barely understood it himself. Legolas gave a smile before walking past the man, who watched him do so.  
  
"I will talk to you another time then? My sister needs this book. She is probably searching for it as we speak and this is her favourite book," Legolas told him before heading down the hall.  
  
He really didn't want to tell the man what the book was about. It would cause too many questions being asked and he didn't want that.  
  
"I wonder if all the elves are this mysterious?" wondered the man before walking down the hall in the opposite direction.  
  
Legolas looked at the book in his hand. He sighed as he continued to head towards his sister's room.  
  
"It looks like he does not understand the Elvish language. I barely understand this Elvish myself so I doubt that he understood it. But I couldn't afford him asking any questions about it. That is a good thing he doesn't know. Now, I have to get this back to Nanaylia. I hope that no one here finds out about that incident she was involved in. Things could get out of hand if they do," Legolas quietly told himself. "I have a strong feeling that something will happen and it is an ill feeling indeed. I do not like it at all."  
  
TBC...


	3. Questions, Answers and Tempers

Frodo walked into the council to see representatives from the different races: men, dwarves and elves. Gandalf was also there and he was relieved to see a familiar face. He looked over the other faces there and saw two other somewhat familiar faces. The male and female elf from earlier, who he saw with Strider and the other two elves. He then thought he'd ask Gandalf about the two elves once the wizard wasn't busy. He also noticed that Strider was also present.  
  
Frodo soon found himself impatiently waiting for Gandalf to join him. The wizard was talking to the others nearby but he soon walked over to the empty chair next to the hobbit. Gandalf could sense some uneasiness in the hobbit. The wizard glanced at Frodo with a worried look. He was wondering what it was about.  
  
"Frodo, what is wrong? You seem to have something on your mind. Is it about the ring?" the wizard wondered.  
  
The hobbit looked up at him with curious eyes and sighed. He shook his head before looking over to where Nanaylia and Legolas were sitting nearby. The two elves were talking to each other and she nodding, as if agreeing or confirming something. The male elf placed a hand on her leg as they sat in the chairs. He looked away from her for a moment before he continued to talk.  
  
"Gandalf, who are those two elves over there? The elf maiden and the one sitting next to her. I saw them earlier with Strider and two dark haired elves," Frodo asked him.  
  
Gandalf looked over at the two and smiled before returning his stare to Frodo.  
  
"That is Legolas and Nanaylia, the son and daughter of Thranduil, king of Mirkwood. The relationship between them is very close. So close that if either of their lives are threatened, watch out for the other one," Gandalf replied as he also watched them. "They will aide each other if their sibling is in need of it. They are greatly protective of each other. The two other elves you saw with them were probably Elladan and Elrohir, the twin sons of Elrond. The four of them have been friends for centuries. Strider only came into the circle later on. He's the most recent addition to their group."  
  
"Why is she here?" Frodo wondered. "I never expected to see a woman here from any race. This is important business about the ring. How could a woman be involved in something like this?"  
  
"I believe she is here because she requested to join her brother. I know something happened in their family a number of years ago but don't ask me about it. I do not know the entire story so I could not tell even if I wanted to," came the reply.  
  
Frodo continued to keep an eye on the two as he listened to Elrond and placed the ring on the pedestal when asked to. He was glad to finally sit down and he continued to glance over at the two elven siblings. He could see that the elven woman was a bit uncomfortable with the presence of the ring. Everyone was when he looked around at the others.  
  
"It is a gift. Let us use it against our enemies," a man suddenly said. "My people have protected your lands and kept them safe."  
  
"You cannot use. None of us can. It answers to Sauron alone," came Strider's voice.  
  
"What would a mere ranger know such matters?" wondered Boromir. "I do not know why you would know things such as these."  
  
Nanaylia could tell her brother was upset. She watched as he suddenly climbed to his feet. She was a bit surprised by his action as she continued to watch him. She was trying not to do or say anything, just like Elrond requested of her.  
  
"This is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance," Legolas replied.  
  
Boromir looked over the elf, disbelieving on what he was hearing. He couldn't believe that the man standing before him was the heir to the throme of Gondor. The confrontation was soon ended and Legolas soon sat down when he was asked to and watched as Boromir did the same. He appeared to be very displeased as Gandalf began to talk.  
  
"Aragorn is right. We cannot use it," the wizard said. "We will have to do something else."  
  
"Then you have only one choice. The ring has to be destroyed," Elrond told them.  
  
"What are we waiting for?" asked a dwarf as he jumped to his feet and grabbed an axe.  
  
He raised it and tried to destroy the ring but the axe simply shattered. He was surprised as he looked at Elrond.  
  
"Gimli, son of Gloin, no one here can destroy it with any craft that we here possess," Elrond told the dwarf as he looked over at Nanaylia, watching her.  
  
The Lord of Rivendell was watching her the entire time. He could see now that one of her eyes was twitching ever so slightly. He became slightly worried as he continued on.  
  
"It has to be destroyed in the place it was forged: Mount Doom," Elrond told him, still keeping an eye on the Mirkwood siblings.  
  
"Then someone shall have to take it there," Gimli said in reply.  
  
Legolas couldn't help but give a laugh in response. He couldn't believe the dwarf standing nearby. Gimli soon looked over at Legolas and growled, not even noticing Nanaylia sitting beside the elf.  
  
"What is so funny, elf?" Gimli wondered.  
  
"Nothing," replied Legolas.  
  
"You're laughing at me. I know you are elf. You should laugh at yourself, you pointy-eared freak. It's amazing someone hasn't done something about the way you look," Gimli snarled back.  
  
Legolas couldn't believe what he was hearing. He gave a deep sigh, an angry look in his eyes. He wasn't expecting what was about to happen.  
  
The next thing he knew, Nanaylia had jumped out of her seat beside him and was storming towards the dwarf. He tried to reach for her arm but couldn't. She managed to get just out of his reach.  
  
"Nanaylia!" cried Elrond as he stepped forward to try and stop her.  
  
Both watched as she ran up to Gimli and grabbed him by the throat, almost strangling him. The others there climbed to their feet, prepared for anything now.  
  
"You will die, dwarf, for saying that. No one, and I mean no one, insults my family and gets away with it," she whispered to him. "Particularly my brother."  
  
"Nanaylia! Get away from him now!" demanded Elrond as Aragorn stood from his chair.  
  
"Never. He insulted my brother and he will pay for it," Nanaylia replied looking up at the Lord of Rivendell.  
  
"Get away from him Nanay. I will deal with this matter later. It is my problem to deal with, not yours. Do not worry yourself with my problems," Legolas told her quietly as he walked up behind her and placed a hand on the arm that held Gimli.  
  
Nanaylia looked at her brother before releasing Gimli from her hold. He placed a hand over his throat and had a disbelieving on his face. He saw something appearing on the elf's arm and was curious on what it was.  
  
"What was that on her arm?" he quietly wondered as he returned to his seat.  
  
"Now that the incident has been taken care of, what about the ring?" Elrond said, very displeased with Nanaylia's recent actions.  
  
"One does not simply walk into Mordor," Boromir said before explaining why.  
  
"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" Legolas wondered. "Something has to be done! The ring has to be destroyed once and for all before all our lands are overrun!"  
  
"And I suppose you're the one to do it?" Gimli replied.  
  
Nanaylia and Frodo watched as everyone began to argue about who should take the ring. She watched as Frodo stood up and offered to take the ring to Mordor himself. She also watched as her brother offer his bow to him. She couldn't believe what she was hearing as the other hobbits found their way into the council and joined the group.  
  
Legolas glanced over at his sister and saw that she was slowly shaking her head and mouthing the word 'no'. He put on a sad face and the look on his face said that he had to go with them. She closed her eyes and placed a hand over them, not believing what she was seeing and hearing. She lifted her stare back towards her brother and saw that she was telling him something.

_'I have to do this,'_ he mouthed to her.

She caught what he was telling her and lowered her head. She placed a hand over her eyes, trying to hold back the tears.

_'Why didn't I tell him when I had the chance?'_ she asked herself. _'Why didn't I?'_

TBC...


	4. Conversations Between Siblings

"How could you do this?" demanded Nanaylia as Legolas prepared to leave with the others.  
  
"I could not do this. Nanaylia, it has been years since you were rescued from the clutches of Manlin from in the Dark Forest. I have been estactic that you were found ever since then but this is something that I feel I have to do," replied Legolas as he turned to look at his sister. "I do not know if you have ever felt the same way or not."  
  
Her shoulders slumped as she heard him say that. The look on her face told him that she was happy to be near family and friends again and she did not want to lose them in any fashion since what happened to her.

"But that was not voluntary. This is," she whispered to him.  
  
"I will come back Nanaylia, I assure you," he quietly told her before taking her into an embrace.  
  
She accepted it and she began to cry slightly as they broke free from it.

"Oh yes, I have something for you before I go," Legolas suddenly told her, turning around.

She watched him as he walked to the bag he had brought with him on the trip. He pulled something out and handed her something wrapped in a cloth. She took it and looked at him with slight confusion in her eyes.

"Open it," he told her in a quiet voice. "Please."

She did so to reveal her set of daggers. Nanaylia was surprised as she stared at her brother, who showed her his. She smiled as she looked at the intricate designs on hers and his. Each respective set was made soon after they were born. They were near identical except hers had slightly different colouring than his.

"I forgot about these completely," she quietly said. "When did you...?"

"I found them again when I went back to Lothlorien with Father some time after you supposedly died. I put them away and promptly forgot about them until just recently. I never expected to see you again so that's why I put them away in the back of my closet for safekeeping. I thought they would be my only reminder of you. The four of them will be together once again. We will have another war of the pranks against the twins and defeat them at it like we always do. I promise you that," Legolas told her in a quiet voice.

Legolas headed out to join the others. She watched him head towards them, the tears falling down her face.  
  
"I should have told you when I had the chance. I do not know if you are coming back and you needed to know about this news. How could I have not told you?" she whispered to herself as she sank to her knees.  
  
She suddenly had an uneasy feeling overwhelm her. She looked from side to side, wondering what was causing it. She had felt this feeling before and she made the decision to find Elrond after watching her brother leave.

###  
  
Frodo was keeping an eye on Legolas. He knew that he would be leaving family behind in Rivendell and was wondering how she was reacting to this news, especially after what he found out from Gandalf. He was curious to what happened in their family but he wasn't going to ask about it just yet. Frodo felt it was too soon to ask.  
  
"Let us go. We have a long journey on our hands," Gandalf said as he began to head out of the elven kingdom.  
  
The others began to follow him, oblivious to the fact they had someone watching them. Legolas turned his head slightly and saw her watching them. He gave a small smile as he heard her voice amongst the wind. She occasionally did that and he had grown accustomed to it. Every once in a while, he even felt a bit envious of her since she could perform magic and he could not. He was always confused on how the magic managed to stay in her body. He hoped that could be explained sometime by someone since Elrond could not do so.  
  
_'Take care,'_ he heard her say. _'Come back alive.'_  
  
Gandalf was leading the way and he stared in the direction of Mordor. He gave a sigh as he did so. Frodo glanced behind the group and saw something in the sky above them. He narrowed his eyes as he stared at it longer.  
  
_'What is that?'_ he thought to himself as he continued to stare at it longer.  
  
As it appeared to become closer, he thought it looked almost like a man with wings.  
  
_'That cannot be! Such creatures that look like men yet fly do not exist!'_ he thought to himself.  
  
"Frodo?" a voice said, breaking him out of his trance.  
  
He turned to see that Aragorn was talking to him. The man appeared to be slightly worried.

"Is everything alright?" wondered Aragorn.  
  
"I'm fine. Nothing's wrong," replied Frodo, giving a small smile. _'At least not yet, there's nothing wrong.'  
_  
Aragorn didn't believe him. He could almost see through that smile. He turned to the place where Frodo was ever so recently looking and thought he saw something in the sky as he narrowed his eyes.  
  
_'It almost looks like a gargoyle. Could it be that Nanaylia's following us? It couldn't be her! I know she cares greatly for her brother but I don't think she would go as far as to follow him on a journey like this,'_ Aragorn thought to himself as he turned back around.

He stared at the other members of the Fellowship and wondered if any of them had seen the flying creature. He hoped none of them had seen it besides Frodo.

###  
  
"Please Elrond, I have to go. Someone is following them and I am worried about Legolas," Nanaylia told the elven lord.  
  
"I cannot let you do that! I am worried for you. Especially in your condition. After Elladan told me about it, I could not believe it. I still cannot believe it, even after I see you. Do you want to put yourself at risk by doing this?" wondered Elrond as he continued to read the book he was holding. "And after what happened at the Council, I'm a bit wary of letting you head after your brother. Your anger was clouding your judgement."  
  
"It has been about seven months since that one incident where I attempted magic. I do not often practise it, including my gargoyle form. But I need to follow them in gargoyle form. It is the only way that I can catch up to them and not be recognized by the others," Nanaylia replied. "Someone is following them and I need to warn them before any of them are killed."  
  
Elrond sighed as he placed the book on the table next to him. He looked at Nanaylia and Arwen, who insisted in joining her friend. Elladan had also insisted he join as he held Nanaylia's hand.  
  
"Alright, I will allow you to follow them but I want you to stay out of sight if nothing appears to be following them and come back here once you are certain that nothing is after them," Elrond told her, standing up and facing her. "Please do as I ask. I am just worried about your safety."  
  
"Yes, I will," Nanaylia quietly said before heading towards the door.  
  
Elrond watched as Elladan escorted both of them out, wondering if he made the right decision.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Elladan asked her as soon as they stepped out of the room.

Arwen headed down the hall, giving them some privacy. She glanced back at them, seeing that they stopped in the hallway just outside their father's door.

"Yes, I am. Elladan, wouldn't you help your brother if he was in trouble?" she asked him, a bit of sadness in her eyes.

He sighed and stared at the floor, placing his hands on her arms.

"I would help Elrohir if he needed my help. But please be careful. You are not in the same condition you were in a few months ago," Elladan told her.

He escorted her to her room. She walked inside and he watched as the door closed. Worry grew in his face about her. Several minutes later, he watched her fly into the sky in the direction the Fellowship went in.

_'Please come back safe,'_ he thought to himself, placing a hand on his forehead.

###  
  
Along the way, the Fellowship decided to stop for a short rest. Legolas was leaning against a nearby tree when Boromir walked up to him. He appeared to be a bit nervous to the elf.  
  
"What is it that I can help you with?" wondered Legolas as he continued to look at his bow.  
  
"Well, I just want to ask you something," Boromir replied.  
  
"What is it?" Legolas told him as he gave the man a watchful eye.

The elf didn't know what the man was going to ask and that made him nervous.  
  
"I heard from a few other men in Gondor that there is a creature that resides in your kingdom. One that has wings, claws and a fiercesome roar," explained the man. "I heard it was like a creature out of an old story. Almost like the gargoyles."  
  
Legolas' eyes became frantic as he continued to look at the man, thoughts running through his mind. His composure remained the same, trying not to show his shock to the question.  
  
_'He knows about Nanaylia's gargoyle form? How could he know?'_ Legolas screamed in his mind before he managed to bring himself to respond. "There is nothing of that sort in Mirkwood. There never has been, never will be. That is a rumour."  
  
Boromir kept a careful eye on the elf as he turned away from the prince. He wasn't sure if he could believe what Legolas was saying.

###  
  
Soon after the rest of the Fellowship has fallen asleep, Legolas leaned against a tree, looking over the night sky. He sighed as he thought of what he had done to his sister by leaving. Also, what had been done to her by Manlin.  
  
Suddenly, he heard a soft rustling in the trees and a figure jumped down behind him. He turned his head to see a gargoyle standing behind him.  
  
"Na...? Narcissis? What are you doing here?" wondered a surprised Legolas, quickly remembering to call her by her gargoyle name in case he missed any of the others awakening.  
  
"Legolas, I came here because I wanted to warn you of something. You are being followed," Narcissis told him.  
  
"Followed? By whom?" Legolas demanded to know. "You mean by someone other than you?"  
  
"I am unsure who it is but someone is following your Fellowship's every move and I have a strange feeling we have met this someone before," she replied as she walked over to the others.  
  
Legolas was shocked to hear it but soon nodded his head.  
  
"Legolas?" she said in a quiet voice.  
  
"What is it?" he wondered, unsure he could take anymore news.  
  
"I have to tell you something," she replied as she walked up to him.  
  
"What now?" Legolas said, becoming a bit worried as he intently watched his sister's every move. "I am already greatly upset that you came after me. You shouldn't be so close to the others. Well, maybe except Aragorn."

She watched him as he continually watched the sleeping Fellowship, as if hoping none of the would wake. He was becoming nervous with what he was being told.  
  
"Lego, I was hoping to tell you while we were at Rivendell, but it could not have happened since you made your decision to leave with the Fellowship. I hate to tell in these circumstances but I am with child," she quietly told him.  
  
"What? With child? Whose child? Tell me!" demanded Legolas, his head perking up in interest.  
  
He watched as his sister gave a sigh and looked away from him.  
  
"It is Elladan's child, Legolas. Elrohir, Arwen, Elrond and our father already know. Father knows because I told him just before we left for Imladris. Only you had to be told," she explained.  
  
"Why did you not tell me earlier?" he asked her as he placed his hands over his face.

"Like I said, I had intended to tell you after the council but you had to leave with the others. This happened during our last meeting with the twins a couple months ago, about a month before they left for home! They stayed at Mirkwood for those months and I was happy for his company in more ways than one," she replied. "I will never forget what he sacrificed soon after that. His father told me what happened after Elladan arrived back home. Lego, I miss him so much even though it has only been a short time."

Legolas carefully watched her movements and he gave a small sigh. He never realized what his sister truly felt about Elladan... or what Elladan truly felt about his sister. The Elven twin had managed to keep his feelings hidden from the others.

She looked over at her brother's companions before glancing back to her brother. What neither of them saw was Gimli being aroused and slightly open his eyes.  
  
"I know I should have told you sooner but there is more danger around these parts Legolas Thranduillion and both of us have to be careful of it," she told him. "Especially you. For some strange feeling, I sense that you are in the most trouble. I cannot explain it."  
  
Gimli looked over at the creature standing beside the elf and was surprised. He let out a roar before grasping his axe and climbing to his feet. He began to rush over to the gargoyle but was soon stopped when he found himself pinned to the ground, the air being pushed out of his lungs from the impact.  
  
The Fellowship was soon awoken by the noises that filled the campsite. The group of seven looked over the creature pinning the dwarf to the ground. Aragorn was a bit awkward with the situation since he recognized the gargoyle in front of him.  
  
"Narcissis," he said loud enough that the elf could hear him.  
  
TBC...


	5. A Sight for the Fellowship

The members of the Fellowship looked over their visitor, who was still towering over the dwarf. Aragorn and Legolas were both trying not to pull her off of Gimli, whose eyes were wide as he stared at the figure on top of him. He almost appeared scared, or at least greatly startled by what she had done... and by her appearance.  
  
"I came to warn you, Fellowship of the Ring, that you are being followed. You have to be careful from here onwards because this threat is dangerous. Very dangerous," she told them.  
  
Gandalf and Narcissis' eyes met and they stared at each other for what seemed the longest time. He was feeling very uneasy about her presence and she could tell he was. He was wondering how she could find them so easily.

Boromir looked over the gargoyle and was surprised by the sight. He figured this creature had to resemble the one from the one he heard in the stories.

_'Well, creatures like in the story do exist but I cannot be certain that this one resides in the place the story says it does in Mirkwood. Legolas said there was nothing like this in his realm. Where did she come from? I would like to know. I would like to know if this is the same one. There are other stories about gargoyles. I wonder if she resides from those areas?' _he thought to himself. _'There are so many questions that I have.'  
_  
"What are you?" wondered Pippin, as he curiously looked over her. "What is your name?"  
  
"What I am is of no importance. I told you what I needed to tell you and now I will be leaving you alone. This dwarf is a waste of my time anyway," she replied before climbing off the dwarf.  
  
She began to walk away from the group when Legolas decided to speak up.  
  
"Maybe you can help us. This threat that you speak of..." he started. "Would you help us if it should come along?"  
  
She looked over him and sighed. She remembered what Elrond had said about staying in gargoyle form for so long but she still nodded before glancing over at the rest of the Fellowship. She knew the hobbits were curious about her and so were the rest of the Fellowship. At least the ones who didn't know. The dwarf didn't trust her, that was certain. He was not curious about her at all.  
  
"Alright, I will stay and help you," she replied before returning to them.  
  
Gimli was almost intimidated by her presence. He carefully watched her moves as he sat back down on the ground. The two made eye contact and it appeared to Gimli that she was almost growling.  
  
_'What is going through her head?'_ he silently wondered. _'And what is she doing here? I have to be careful of creatures like her. Just like I have to be carfeul of elves. Both races are dangerous and to be taken seriously. Even better, why am I not dead?'_

###  
  
Once the dawn arrived, the Fellowship headed out, with Narcissis following behind them. Both Gandalf and Gimli were keeping an extra careful eye out for her the entire day. She wasn't showing it much but she was trying not to let the group know that she was having difficulty seeing where she was going. She knew that Aragorn and Legolas knew that gargoyles didn't see well during the day but that's all who she wanted to let know.  
  
They traveled the entire day before deciding to stop for the night. Narcissis was glad when they stopped and only Legolas saw this relief.

He walked over to her and sat down next to her.

"The threat is close," was all she said. "We have to be careful. I have a feeling they know I am with you and that is what's worrying me."

Legolas heard what she said and became slightly worried since he didn't know what to expect.

"You don't know what to expect?" Legolas wanted to make sure. "You didn't see who it was?"

"No, I do not. I do not know who it is and when to expect them to show their face," she replied.

Aragorn glanced back at the two, hoping she was seeing where she was going. He realized that she couldn't see well in the daytime. He just didn't know who else knew this fact besides Legolas. He was hoping that no one else did or else something could go wrong.

###  
  
Some time later, Legolas looked over at his sister, who was allowing Pippin to ask a few questions. She wasn't answering all of them but she was listening to what he wanted to know about her. She replied that she might answer them another time but she couldn't promise anything. Pippin only slightly understood and continued to ask her anyway. Aragorn walked up behind him and crouched down beside him.  
  
"I can tell you don't want her to be here," he whispered to the elf.  
  
"No, I do not. I can tell something is wrong. She has been acting differently in the past two months and I cannot place my fingers on it. I am simply worried about her. Maybe if we happen to pass by Lothlorien, she could stay there while we continue. I am wary of letting her go off alone. I fear something would happen to her if we did. This way, I can keep an eye on her," Legolas replied, not wanting Aragorn to know about Nanaylia's pregnancy just yet.  
  
Aragorn sighed and gave a nod of the head. He looked over at the gargoyle, who had stopped talking to Pippin and began to head over to them. She sat next to a slightly nervous elf and man.  
  
"Thank you," she quietly said, as she kept an eye on Gimli, who still appeared to a bit angry from the earlier incident.  
  
She noticed that he was occasionally glancing over at her. She could tell that he was the suspicious type. Especially of her and Legolas. She could also tell that Gandalf was occasionally glancing over at her. She knew she was in a group of people who were very suspicious of her because fof what she was. Gandalf and Gimli were both suspicious of her while the hobbits were curious and Boromir was slightly cautious.  
  
"For what?" wondered Legolas, as he looked over at her.  
  
"For not giving me away. You could have easily told them that I was your sister and that I was cursed with this form," she replied.  
  
"Our father does not want everyone knowing and you are my sister. I have a strong feeling that you would not have come if it was not important. I know you too well. You care about me but you would not follow me on something like this if you thought I was going to be safe. I trust your judgment that something is after us," he told her. "Besides, to tell them that we are related would put father and myself at risk as well."  
  
Narcissis smiled at this as she glanced over at Aragorn. It was then that she began to feel some pain in her stomach. She placed a hand over the area that was beginning to ache. It was obvious to the man and elf that something was wrong. Frodo looked over at the scene and became curious by it.

_'This creature's actions does not fit the description of any story that I have heard. Why is that?'_ he asked himself as he continued to watch the scene. _'We should all be dead by now by what I have heard about them. Now what is the matter with her?'  
_  
"What's the matter?" wondered Aragorn as he walked up to her side.  
  
He placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her upright. He watched as she closed her eyes and wince in pain. He could tell that the pain was not good as she began to double over.  
  
"Is it something I can help you with?" Aragorn wondered as he grasped both of her shoulders in order to keep her steady.  
  
"No, it is not something. I do not know what is wrong Aragorn. I will leave once I know that danger has passed you. If it comes back again before then, I just might ask you for your help," she replied quietly.  
  
Legolas placed a hand over his eyes. He just didn't feel comfortable with what was just said but he also knew that it was her choice to ask of help.  
  
Legolas glanced up and saw that Gandalf was heading over to the group of three and looked over them.  
  
"How are things over here?" the wizard wondered, watching the gargoyle blink her eyes a few times.  
  
"Everything is fine Gandalf," Legolas told him.  
  
The wizard was still curious and nervous about the gargoyle. He had heard about gargoyles yet never seen one before. He knew that the reputations of gargoyles were not well thought of. He began to walk away from the group as Narcissis stood up and called to him. He turned back around to look at her as she walked over to him.  
  
"You do not have to be wary of me, Istari. I am a friend, not an enemy. I would not be here, warning if I was not. You would most likely be dead if I was anything but a friend," she said to him as she looked him in the eye.  
  
Gandalf took one last look at her before he turned back to the rest of the Fellowship without saying anything. Narcissis sighed as she turned back around to her brother and friend. What she saw, surprised her. She began to growl, causing Legolas and Aragorn to wonder what was wrong. It was then that Legolas sensed something was nearby and prepared his bow.

"Legolas, Narcissis, what is the matter?" asked Aragorn as he grabbed the hilt of his sword.

"Something draws near. I can sense it. Be prepared for anything," Legolas replied as he quickly looked around the area for whatever was drawing close to their position.

The gargoyle got to all fours, the members of the Fellowship wondering what was wrong.  
  
"What is going on here?" wondered Merry.  
  
"I don't know Merry," replied Pippin, climbing to his feet.  
  
"I knew that the gargoyle was not to be trusted! She brought the trouble right to us! She was planning this from the beginning!" yelled Gimli, raising his axe.  
  
He was slowly heading towards the gargoyle when she faced him and growled. Legolas knew that she was angry with the dwarf. She had been before and she was still.  
  
"Stupid dwarf! There is trouble nearby! I am not the enemy as most poeple believe!" she cried at him.  
  
The hobbits were soon glancing around, hoping that whoever was nearby wouldn't take them. They all guddled in a group near Gandalf as Boromir, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli all prepared themselves for whatever was coming. Narcissis soon stared in Legolas' direction. He looked back at her and became worried when she began to run straight for him. Legolas became even more surprised when she jumped at him.  
  
TBC...


	6. A Stalker's Identity is Known

Narcissis flew over Legolas' head as he managed to duck in time, his reactions quick enough for her movements in the years since her return. He twirled around as he heard two sets of growling. What he saw, greatly disturbed him. He was watching as his sister was facing against another gargoyle. It almost appeared to a familiar face in his eyes but he couldn't tell during the commotion. The battle between the gargoyles continued. Legolas thought it looked like Shentree but he wasn't certain if it was or not.  
  
The rest of the Fellowship also couldn't help but watch the two gargoyles claw at each other. The new gargoyle soon overpowered the gargoyle that was with the Fellowship.  
  
Legolas and Aragorn soon lifted their bows and aimed them at the two gargoyles, hoping for the moment that they shoot and slow down their new attacker. The new gargoyle saw this action and quickly reacted by managing to catch Narcissis off-guard when she glanced over at them. The paler gargoyle was soon tackled to the ground and she felt an arm around her neck, lifting her up to a standing position.  
  
"Be careful elven princeling, or else she will die a painful death," the gargoyle told him.  
  
Legolas immediately knew that voice as he lowered his bow. It greatly disturbed him to know that it was indeed Shentree. He couldn't believe that it was Shentree had been following them. He couldn't figure out why just yet. He hoped to find out soon enough.  
  
"Nice to see you again... Shentree," he coldly said. "Now leave her out of this."  
  
The gargoyle looked at the captive struggling in her arms before looking back at Legolas and the rest of the Fellowship. She snickered at them before glancing back at Legolas.  
  
"No, I will not. She is just as involved in this as you are. You should know that," Shentree told him, a smirk on her face. "Now promise that you and your friends will not attack me or else someone will soon be dead."  
  
Legolas sighed as he looked at his friends. He hated to let the others know about any relationship he had with a gargoyle but he soon dropped his bow to the ground. Not only did he have his sister to think about, he also had a niece or a nephew to think about as well.  
  
"I will not attack you as long as you pose any threat to any of us," Legolas snarled at the gargoyle. _'Particlurlay my sister in the condition she is in.'  
_  
Aragorn soon lowered his bow and the group was curious as to why they would do such a thing. The ranger didn't like only two of them knowing the truth about the situation while others did not. He gave an angry sigh.  
  
"I cannot believe that the two of you are giving in to the demands of this creature," Gimli growled at the elf. "Both of them are dangerous. They are gargoyles."  
  
"The reasons are my own, dwarf. I do not have to explain myself to you," Legolas almost snarled back.  
  
Shentree smiled as she saw the banter between the elf and dwarf. She knew she could this information to her advantage sometime in the future.  
  
_'This could prove useful. Very useful information,'_ she thought to herself. "Just remember dear prince that I am not afraid to use force to get my point across."  
  
Legolas watched as Shentree pulled out a small dagger and raised it to Narcissis' throat. He growled as he stared the gargoyle before him. He reluctantly nodded as he faced the ground.  
  
Shentree soon released Narcissis, who gasped for air as she knelt on the ground. She crawled over to the Fellowship, next to her brother. Both Narcissis and Legolas stared down the gargoyle now standing amongst them.  
  
"What do you want?" Legolas demanded.  
  
"You are not in a position to make demands dear prince. It has definitely been a while, hasn't it been?" wondered Shentree as she began to circle Legolas. "It's been a few years since you visited my territory. And escaped from it."  
  
Legolas was trying his hardest not to punch the gargoyle in the face and leaving her behind but he managed not to as she stopped behind him. He could almost feel her breathing down his neck.  
  
"I can see you're not going to answer anything now. We will deal with this later, elf," Shentree snarled at him as she stepped to one side of him. "Maybe your sister would like to get involved in this conversation."  
  
"Just leave my sister out of this," he told her, facing the gargoyle.  
  
"Oh it's too late for that now. She's already involved, like I said. Just like you, she escaped. No one had ever escaped from the Dark Forest before the two of came in to visit us all those centuries ago. Before the two of you first saw myself, Banside and Sathed. That's why the two of you need to die for it. But I feel it's too late since you've already lived to tell the tale," replied Shentree as the others continued to watch. "And I know what happened to your friend several months ago. I met up with Banside again a couple months ago and he told me what happened. It was a very intriguing story. Shall I tell your friends here?"

"They don't need to know," Legolas replied, balling his hand up into a fist.

"Fine, I will simply tell them later then," Shentree replied in an innocent sounding voice as she glanced back at him.  
  
Legolas growled as he watched the gargoyle. Shentree looked over at the rest of the Fellowship and couldn't help but laugh. Legolas was a bit surprised that she knew what happened to his friend all those months ago but he should have figured that the gargoyles must have kept in touch sometimes.  
  
"You know, I've never seen such a pitiful group of friends before. You must have had some difficulty lately making friends," she mused. "I'm surprised the dwarf actaully came out of the mountain. They are so hard-headed and greedy. Also very stubborn. I am surprised he isn't blinded by the light."  
  
"Why you..." started Gimli before he headed for her with his axe.  
  
She grabbed his axe before it reached her. The two soon stared at each other and he was surprised by what she had done.She gave a laugh at his shocked face.  
  
"Stupid dwarf," she muttered as she walked towards the wizard. "You've now got another gargoyle with you whether you like it or not. If you don't let me come with you and don't let me do what I want, I will make sure all of you die before you finish what you started. And I'll start with the elves."  
  
Gandalf was very surprised with what she said as she walked towards the other gargoyle. She appeared to be more menacing than the other one that was with them. She appeared to be more distrustful than the other one.  
  
_'Elves?'_ he asked himself as he sat back down.  
  
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Shentree demanded suddenly. "Why don't we leave?"  
  
"We are waiting for the sun to rise," replied Gandalf as he faced the two of them.  
  
"That's stupid," Shentree muttered as she grabbed Narcissis' arm. "Why didn't you tell them about that?"  
  
"Do they need to know everything about us?" growled Narcissis.  
  
The two continued to growl at each other again before Legolas stepped in between them and gave them each a stern look.  
  
"We will leave at morning, no matter what anyone else says. Is that clear?" Legolas told them before taking once last look between Narcissis and Shentree.  
  
"That is clear," Shentree replied with a growl, agreeing to what he said.  
  
Legolas walked to a nearby tree and leaned against it, carefully watching everyone around him. Particularly the two gargoyles. He and Narcissis weren't too fond of Shentree even since their first meeting and both knew that she could be very dangerous, especially when provoked. They knew that she was dangerous enough when unprovoked.  
  
"Alright. Morning is when we shall leave," Shentree finally agreed, not believing what she was hearing. "I can't believe that this is happening. I can't believe that I am actually agreeing to this."

00000  
  
The Fellowship moved forward on their trek for some time before coming to a formation of rocks.  
  
Narcissis and Shentree sat atop their own rock, keeping an eye out for each other's moves while Boromir was giving Merry and Pippin some lessons. Aragorn was watching the lesson and was giving his advice.  
  
"If I didn't know any better, I would say we were taking the long way around," Gimli told Gandalf. "We could pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome. He can give such a welcome for us."  
  
"No, I would not go through the mines unless I had no other choice. Right now, we have other choices," Gandalf replied as he looked over at Gimli.  
  
Legolas soon stood atop a rock and looked off into the distance. He soon gave out the warning of the crebain and they hurried to hide.  
  
Narcissis hurried to hide behind one of the rocks but a cramp in her stomach stopped her. Legolas glanced over at her to see her clutching her stomach in pain.  
  
"No!" he quietly said.  
  
He hurried over to her and helped her to the safety of the rocks as the crebain passed. Shentree noticed this action and laughed to herself in realization.  
  
_'I should have seen it before!'_ she thought to herself as a smile crept onto her face. _'This, I can use against them. This, I can definitely use. I never expected this at all.'  
_  
"The south path is being watched. We must take the mountain. The pass of Caradhas," Gandalf told the group as he looked upwards to the sky.  
  
Aragorn hurried over to Legolas and Narcissis, who was on her knees, trying not to show too much pain.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked her as Gimli watched them.  
  
"I will be fine," she replied before starting to walk after the group.  
  
Gimli was soon giving her a wary and distrusting look towards the two gargoyles. Shentree was smiling to herself as she watched the scene.  
  
"She's not well Legolas," Aragorn told his friend. "What is the matter?"  
  
"No, she is not. Now I really do not want her to be here. I do not know what is wrong," Legolas replied. "She does not belong here, with us on this journey. The only reason she is here is because of Shentree."  
  
Gimli watched Legolas and Aragorn as they continued to keep an eye out for Narcissis. He also saw the distrustful looks they were giving Shentree.  
  
_'What is going on with those two? They act as if they know the one gargoyle rather well and she's a friend of theirs. It also appears that the other they've met but never got along. I wonder how they all met each other? Even better, how they're still alive. With what I heard about gargoyles, once you meet one, a person doesn't tend to become friends or enemies with them. They're usually dead and can't tell the tale to anyone,'_ Gimli thought to himself.  
  
TBC...

Author's note-For all those wondering about what Shentree was saying about Legolas Nanaylia escaping from her 'territory', it's reference to my story 'Journey of a Thousand Steps.' (And for any of you wondering about her comment about what happened to a friend of Legolas', it's actually a reference to a story I'm intending to put up at a later date. It will be more explained in a later chapter.)


	7. Confrontations Outside the Mines

Legolas frequently looked over at his sister as they travelled along the snowy mountain. He could tell she was cold, even though she wasn't showing it. Shentree was doing the same thing. He really didn't want to have the other gargoyle along but she was here anyway. He stopped and allowed Narcissis to catch up to him. He knew that Shentree was the reason that Nanaylia followed them in the first place.  
  
"How are you doing?" he asked in a quiet voice.  
  
"I would be better if Shentree were not around. Her presence makes me feel awkward, knowing I was once working alongside her. I feel that she is up to no good. I would not be here if she had not been stalking you and the others," she replied in a quiet voice.  
  
Legolas' suspicions were confirmed by that statement as he turned his head as he was hearing a voice. He narrowed his eyes and he walked to the front of the group. Shentree watched him the entire time.  
  
"There is a fell voice on the air," he said.  
  
"It's Sarumon!" cried Gandalf.  
  
The group watched as the two wizards had words between them and an avalanche began to start. A piece of rock hit Legolas in the shoulder and he cried out slightly in pain.  
  
Narcissis and Shentree had both flown in to the air, despite the raging snow. They listened in on the Fellowship's conversation on what to do next. They soon heard Frodo saying about going through the mines.  
  
"The Mines of Moria. This is going to be so much fun," Shentree whispered to herself. "So much fun indeed. I have not been there in centuries."  
  
Narcissis looked in the gargoyle's direction and immediately became worried.  
  
_'This is not going to be fun at all,'_ she thought to herself as she followed the group back down the mountain.

00000  
  
The gargoyles followed the Fellowship along the water. Shentree walked up behind Legolas and leaned into towards his ear.  
  
"You will not leave Moria alive. I know you won't and I will make sure of it," she whispered to him. "I will finish what Banside, Sathed and I started all those years ago."  
  
Legolas gasped as the gargoyle backed away. He heard Narcissis growl and a push. The two were soon growling at each other and a fight between them seemed imminent.  
  
"Stop it, both of you!" Aragorn sternly told them as he stepped in between the two. "We are not animals here."  
  
"I've just about had it with listening to you and these others, pitiful as they are. That is my only warning," Shentree quietly told him.  
  
Aragorn appeared a bit shocked as the two gargoyles stared at each other as they soon walked along the wall. They soon came across the door that led into the mountain. Gandalf whispered to himself about the light of the moon and the stars and the door came into view.  
  
"It says 'The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak friend, and enter'," Gandalf told them.  
  
"What do ya suppose that means?" wondered Merry.  
  
"Well, it means that if you are a friend, you speak the password and the doors will open," Gandalf replied.  
  
He then began to say different phrases but nothing was working. He soon began to push on the door as the others looked on.  
  
"Legolas," Narcissis quietly told the elf.  
  
"What is it?" he asked as he turned around to face her.  
  
"Be on your guard," she said. "You know I worry about you. Something will happen and I know. it. So do you."  
  
Legolas gave a small smile at that and nodded his head, knowing she was right. He could sense something was about to happen but when was the biggest concern to him.  
  
Shentree was watching Legolas the whole time. She walked up to him and hissed into his ear. He quickly moved, a bit startled by her appearance.  
  
"What do you want?" he asked her.  
  
Her answer came as a hand to his throat. He gasped for air as he felt himself being pushed against the hard rock. Everyone present except for Gandalf jumped to their feet in alarm.  
  
"I have despised you since your escape from the Dark Forest. And your sister's escape as well. The two of you need to pay for this and I cannot wait any longer. This has to end now!" Shentree cried at him before lowering her voice. "We would have done the same thing to you as we did her if we had found you that day and neither of you would have been found. Ever!"  
  
Legolas was surprised to hear that as he looked over at Frodo. The hobbit had a surprised look on his face and the elf wasn't sure what Frodo had heard of that last sentence.  
  
"Get away from him!" cried the hobbit as he ran for the gargoyle.  
  
The gargoyle grabbed Frodo by the arm and almost lifted him off his feet. Aragorn placed his hand on his sword but Shentree shoved Frodo forward.  
  
"One move, and he dies," Shentree warned him. "One wrong move with me from now on, and everyone is going to end up dead, starting with the elf and the halfling here."  
  
Gandalf narrowed his eyes once he heard the gargoyle say that.  
  
_'Earlier, she said elves. What is happening that I have obviously overlooked? Something is amiss here,'_ he had to ask himself.  
  
Boromir gazed over the gargoyle in wonder. He narrowed his eyes.  
  
_'Where do these creatures reside?'_ he had to ask himself._ 'The elf said they did not reside in his kingdom. I have to know but I do not dare ask them for I feel they will not tell me exactly or give me an obscure answer.'  
_  
Merry, Pippin and Sam were prepared for whatever was to happen while Gimli had his axe prepared. It seemed as if he were expecting something like this.  
  
All of a sudden, Shentree was knocked to the ground. Merry and Pippin scrambled out of the way of the two gargoyles as they rolled along the ground. Both stood up and faced each other growling.  
  
"You have definitely changed since the last time we met," Shentree said to Narcissis. "But you can't deny that you will always be one of us."  
  
"I cannot be one of you. I am different to you and the others. You thirst for blood while I thirst for freedom," Narcissis growled back at her.  
  
"Whether you like it or not, you've got gargoyle in your blood. You're going to have to come to terms with that someday," Shentree replied with a shake of the head.  
  
Shentree jumped at her and the two were soon again on the ground. Legolas had his bow prepared but he didn't shoot it for he was afraid to hit his sister. He watched as Shentree was forced to the ground.  
  
The gargoyle stared at the ground for a moment before reaching to grab a small pouch from around her waist. She laughed to herself as Narcissis lunged for her. Shentree quickly reacted and pushed Narcissis away with her feet. The pale gargoyle gasped for air since the feet connected with her stomach. She soon felt the rocky surface of the wall behind her and she slid down to the ground.  
  
Legolas aimed his bow right at Shentree, who was steadily walking towards him, claws bared.  
  
"You cannot defeat me, elf," she said. "You never could. Those times you escaped, you were simply lucky."  
  
Aragorn soon stood behind the gargoyle, his bow ready.  
  
"And you can't defeat me either," she called to Aragorn.  
  
Legolas couldn't believe the arrogance the gargoyle was displaying.  
  
"I do not believe you sometimes," he whispered.  
  
"I do not believe you sometimes either," she replied before lunging for him, her claws ready.  
  
She managed to catch him off guard and knock him to the ground, flat on his back. Legolas cried out in pain as he hit the hard ground. Gimli was prepared for anything as he hurried towards the two but Shentree quickly reacted to it and turned around to place a hand around his throat and throw him a few feet away.  
  
Shentree growled again and placed her hand on the ground. Aragorn watched as he saw her pick up some dirt and throw it in Legolas' face. He ran for her and pulled her from Legolas. Aragorn pulled out his sword and was ready for her as she began walking towards him.  
  
"I should have known not to attempt this now. I will leave you but be preapred for I will be back," Shentree told them before running off.  
  
Aragorn lowered his sword and headed back over to Legolas. Frodo was standing next to the elf. The others looked on, worried about the elf. Legolas was coughing, the result of Shentree throwing the dirt in his face.  
  
"Are you alright?" Aragorn asked, noticing some claw marks on his friend's shoulders.  
  
"I will be fine," Legolas managed to say through the coughing. "But I think I might have swallowed some of the dirt though."  
  
"But I will want to check on these later, before they become infected," Aragorn replied, gesturing to the wounds.  
  
"They wil be fine," Legolas told him.  
  
Aragorn sighed as he looked over at Narcissis, who was slowly standing up.

"Are you alright?" he asked.  
  
"I will be fine, just give me some time for me to catch my breath," she told him as he helped her to her feet.  
  
Aragorn decided to soon look her over, if she allowed him, for any injuries that she might have suffered. He walked over to Gandalf, who was had watched the entire thing from where he was situated.  
  
"What about getting into the mines?" Aragorn asked.  
  
"I will try my best," Gandalf replied.

00000  
  
Shentree watched the group from above and her stare soon turned to the water near them.  
  
"It is still there. Watcher, wake up! I require your assistance," Shentree called down to the water.  
  
The water soon began to stir with life and she knew that the creature had heard her.  
  
"They will now all die and now I won't have to do a thing. Why didn't I think of this earlier?" she wondered before taking off into the night.

00000  
  
Pippin was throwing some rocks into the water when Aragorn grabbed his arm. The hobbit was surprised as he looked at the man. Legolas narrowed his eyes as he stared over the water. Somehow, he could sense something was different... something that was terribly wrong. He didn't bother to say anything as not to alarm them..  
  
"Do not disturb the water," the man said to him.  
  
The hobbit agreed to do so as Frodo looked at the doorway.  
  
"It is a riddle. 'Speak friend, and enter'. What's the Elvish word for friend?" Frodo asked.  
  
"Mellon," Gandalf replied and the doors opened.  
  
Everyone was a bit surprised as the doors did open. They walked into the entrance of the mine.  
  
"Master Elf, soon you will experience the fabled hospitality of the dwarves. Roaring fire. Malt beer. Red meat off the bone. This is the home of my cousin Balin and they call it a mine. A mine!" Gimli was saying to Legolas, who was still feeling the effects of dirt being thrown in his face.  
  
To Legolas, the experience seemed different somehow. He felt something was very different this time. He had dirt thrown in his face before, playfully by his sister, but he couldn't place to what was so drastically different about the most recent time. He was soon feeling nauseated. He tried hard to fight back the feeling. Narcissis looked over at him and was becoming increasingly worried by each passing moment.  
  
"This isn't a mine. It's a tomb," Boromir said as they looked around to see the dead bodies.  
  
Gimli walked over to one of the bodies and gave a yell of disbelief. Legolas pulled out of the arrows.  
  
"Goblins," he said before standing back up and grabbed an arrow.  
  
"We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should have never come here. Get out. Get out!" cried Boromir.  
  
Frodo was soon dragged backwards. The hobbits quickly reacted.  
  
"Strider!" cried Sam before trying to remove the creature's grasp from Frodo.  
  
Aragorn hurried towards them once the tentacles shot out of the water. Legolas hurried out and shot an arrow at the creature. The group watched as the Aragorn cut the creature's tentacle that was holding Frodo.  
  
"Into the mine!" cried Gandalf.  
  
Everyone began to hurry into the mine as the Watcher began to tear down the entrance.  
  
"Now we have but one choice. We must face the long dark of Moria," Gandalf told them. "Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world. I am worried about this place. Let us continue onwards"  
  
Narcissis soon grabbed Legolas' arm before he started to walk after the wizard.  
  
"We will need to talk later," she told him in a quiet voice.  
  
TBC...


	8. A Revealing Conversation Within the Mine

Author's Note-I wanted to warn everyone that Legolas will be acting a little OOC in this chapter and in few subsequent chapters. (Hope no one gets angry with me about it. It will be explained later on.)

00000

The Fellowship walked through the Mines, hoping that they wouldn't be noticed by everyone or anyone.

Legolas glanced around at the walls of rock around him. He was becoming more and more agitated by them by each passing moment and he didn't know why. It was as if the limited space was making him jumpy for some strange reason. Almost claustrophobic. Before they arrived, he knew he wasn't going to like it but he didn't think he would be this jumpy. Narcissis looked at him and so did Aragorn. They could tell that something was wrong.

"Legolas?" Aragorn asked him.

"Yes?" the elf replied.

"Is there anything wrong?" wondered the man.

Legolas shook his head before they continued on, hoping that Aragorn didn't see through his lie. Aragorn narrowed his eyes as he looked over the elf, watching his moves. He noticed that something was wrong. He did see through the elf's lie and was hoping to ask him about it later.

_'What is the matter? I wish you would tell me. I think there is something more than Narcissis following us,'_ Aragorn thought to himself.

00000

They soon came across three passages and Gandalf stared at the three of them.

"I have no memory of this place," he quietly said.

He glanced back at the nine people who were following him.

"Rest while I try and remember which direction to head in," he told them.

They soon complied and the hobbits, dwarf and one human were soon sleeping. Aragorn, Legolas and Narcissis were soon talking out of earshot of the wizard. At least they thought they were. Gandalf soon heard the talking and strained to listen in on the conversation between the three.

"Why did you really follow us?" Legolas had to know.

"Legolas? You know why I followed you. Because Shentree was following you. You know how dangerous she can be," replied Narcissis, not believing what she was hearing.

"Legolas, do you really think that she would follow you from Rivendell because of her extreme worry about you?" Aragorn asked the elf.

"We could have handled her," Legolas retorted, placing a hand on his forehead.

"I don't think so. If I remember right, wasn't it Narcissis that first warned us about Shentree? It was her that stopped the gargoyle from attacking you. You might not even be standing here right now if it wasn't for your sister," Aragorn told him, sounding a bit upset.

It was either that or disbelief of the elf's reaction to Narcissis' presence. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Legolas, are you certain there is anything wrong?" Aragorn asked him, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"No, nothing's wrong," Legolas snapped back.

Aragorn was really surprised at that reaction for the elf has never reacted like that before.

_'Something's happened to you. What is it? Even better, why and who did it? You have never acted this way before, not to me or anyone else that I am aware of,' _Aragorn thought to himself.

"Legolas!" Narcissis said as she began to cry.

Both Aragorn and Narcissis looked at the elf standing before them, concerned looks on their faces. Legolas had a hand on his face. He looked at the two and sighed.

"Once we get out of the mines, I will feel better. I feel so cramped in here, as if the whole place around me is closing in and I cannot stop it," Legolas finally admitted to them.

"So do I Lego. I feel like jumping between the walls, trying to push them apart even further than what they are now. Please hold on until we do get out of here," Narcissis told him.

Legolas looked at her with sad eyes and he received sad eyes in return.

"Nanay, please go back to Rivendell once we reach the other side. Stay with Elrond and his children until I return," he pleaded with her. "You'll be safe with them."

She shook her head as she faced the ground. She placed a hand over her eyes and Aragorn put his hand on her shoulder. He looked over at Legolas.

"I cannot Lego. Shentree is still a threat to you and the others. She will not stop until you are dead and until I am dead as well. You know how much she enjoyed us escaping from the Dark Forest," Narcissis reminded him.

"Well, do not remind me again please. I know she hated it greatly. But of course, you weren't so lucky soon after our first visit. Remember that?" Legolas replied.

"Do I ever. I just hope you never have to deal with that. There are many dangerous paths out there and that was just one of them," Narcissis said as she stood up. "You will never know the pain and suffering I had to go through."

"And you will never know the sorrow Father and myself went through after we were told your body could not be found and you were most likely dead. I cried for days after that. Even when Aragorn, the twins and I ventured into the Dark Forest that one time all those years ago and found you there, I was still not over the grief of losing you," Legolas told her as he stood up and walked over to her.

Aragorn smiled as he watched them hug each other.

"I just don't want you to lose you again because of someone who gave you so much grief already," Legolas whispered in her ear.

"I will be heading back to Rivendell but it's once I know that Shentree is no longer a threat," Narcissis said.

"But that could be days, even weeks or months! I won't allow you to follow me any further than what you need to," Legolas said as she held onto her shoulders.

Narcissis nodded as all three of them heard a noise coming from Gandalf's direction. They faced him and sighed. Legolas dropped his head a little as he realized what happened.

"He was eavesdropping," Legolas sighed as they walked up to the wizard. "How much did you hear of it?"

"Most of it," came the reply as he looked over at the gargoyle. "I cannot believe it that it is really you. You were held captive in that dangerous part of your kingdom the entire time? And everyone believed you were dead?"

Legolas and Narcissis nodded in reply as they and Aragorn walked over to him. Gandalf carefully looked over the older sibling before staring at the younger one. He came to the Fellowship, at the sleeping hobbits, dwarf and man before returning to the elves and man.

_'There is something wrong here. Something that I cannot place my finger on. I fear that it is something dangerous. I cannot explain it. Could it be because of that other gargoyle?'_ Gandalf thought to himself.

He looked over at the rest of the Fellowship, who were all still sleeping, not even noticing what was going on around them.

"And none of them know either," Gandalf murmured.

"No one knows besides a select few. Ourselves and our father do not want the entirety of Middle Earth to know about how what happened to Nanaylia. It wouldn't look good for us if we were associated with a race that was considered extremely dangerous, even if Nanaylia was part of them for a time," Legolas explained.

"I can see, even though she has different colouring than the regular gargoyle. I have heard about them and seen pictures of them yet I never expected to see one. You almost look like a different race of gargoyle. Just like there's different races of elves," Gandalf said as he stood up.

"Yes, I could be another race of gargoyle but I'm not," Narcissis told him. "As you can see, the colouring is from anothoer source."

Gandalf looked over the sleeping Fellowship again and sighed before he realized something. He smiled as he stared at one of the three passageways.

"It's that way," Gandalf suddenly said. "We will wait a bit to wake rest of the Fellowship. They need some sleep before continuing on, as do the three of you."

Legolas nodded as he and Aragorn sat next to a wall nearby as Narcissis sat next to Legolas. She curled up into a ball and fell into a light sleep. Legolas did the same.

None of them noticed that one of the hobbits was awake and listened to what they were saying. He was surprised by what he heard of the conversation and didn't know what to make of it.

00000

Some time later, both awoke to find most of the Fellowship had awoken. Aragorn was just arousing as Gandalf prepared the Fellowship to leave. He quickly realized what was happening and got everything of his prepared. He soon stood beside Legolas. Narcissis glanced over at them before staring at the wizard.

"Alright, we are leaving," Gandalf told them before returning her stare.

Everyone followed him. Gandalf occasionally looked back. He became worried as he looked at Frodo. The hobbit appeared to be uncertain about something. Almost nervous. The wizard decided to ask him about it later.

_'There is more on his mind than the Ring. I can tell,' _Gandalf thought to himself as the group walked into a vast area with many pillars. "This is the dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf."

"That's an eyeopener, that's for sure," Sam quietly said.

They continued on until Gimli saw something in a room. Gandalf cried out to him as the dwarf hurried towards the room and looked at the tomb before him. The others walked in behind him.

"'Here lies Balin, son of Fundin. Lord of Moria'. He is dead then," Gandalf said as Gimli continued his sobbing.

Gandalf noticed a book and picked it up. He began to read from it, telling what happened. Pippin looked over at the skeleton sitting on the well as Legolas turned to Aragorn.

"We must not linger. I fear something is coming and quickly," Legolas told him in a quiet voice. 

"I believe you Legolas but we have to wait a few more moments," Aragorn replied as he noticed Pippin.

The young hobbit touched the arrowhead and the head fell into the well with a crash. Everyone looked over at the slightly embarassed Pippin as the rest of the body went with the head.

"Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity," Gandalf told the hobbit, taking his hat and staff from him.

They soon heard drums beating. Gandalf became slightly worried as it became more intense.

"Orcs," Legolas said as he looked at the gargoyle standing next to him.

It looked to Legolas that the pain she was having earlier was coming back by the look on her face. Boromir stepped outside the room only to have an arrow fly past him into the door. The gargoyle took a place beside Gandalf as Aragorn told the hobbits to stay close to the wizard.

"They have a cave troll," he said, not quite believing it.

They barricaded the door and prepared themselves for what was coming. Legolas soon noticed that Narcissis was huddled in a corner, obviously in pain.

_'Oh no. She can't defend herself!' _he thought to himself as the doors were slightly broken from the creatures trying to get inside.

He released the arrow and it hit an orc. The door was soon knocked down and the orcs came rushing inside the room. As they were rushing into the room, Legolas hurried back to the gargoyle and was soon defending her from the onslaught. She watched as he did this action.

"Lego," she managed to whisper. "Please be careful. "

Aragorn glanced back at what the elf was doing and saw that Narcissis was in slight pain again. He couldn't place his fingers on it.

_'Something is wrong with her. What could it possibly be?'_ he asked himself. _'If we make it out of here, I really have to ask her about it.'_

The fighting with the orcs continued for a few more minutes until they heard a loud roar. They watched as a cave troll made its way into the room. Everyone looked at it in surprise.

"We are in serious trouble," Legolas said as he continued to stand in front of his sister, lowering his bow slightly.

TBC...


	9. Trying to Get Out

The group looked up at the troll towering above them. Legolas shot the troll with an arrow as Narcissis stood up. It roared as it lifted up the club in its hands. It brought the club down and everyone managed to get out of the way.

"What is this thing doing?" wondered the gargoyle as she tried to go help.

But she found that her feet wouldn't move. Aragorn looked over at her and saw what she was doing. He hurried over to her and quickly knelt beside her.

"What's wrong?" he quietly asked.

"I have some pain again. I think I know why it is but I am unsure yet. I wish to help but I believe I will be more in the way than anything," she replied as she tried look over at her brother but couldn't see him anywhere.

They watched the elf shoot another arrow at the cave troll. Gimli threw an axe at the troll and it retaliated a bit. The troll swung its club and it landed where the dwarf once stood. Gimli had jumped from his position on the tomb.

The hobbits were soon trying to get out of the troll's way, hiding behind the pillars.

Narcissis soon caught sight of her brother and Aragorn looked over as well. The elf was on a ledge, facing the cave troll.

"Legolas!" she cried out but he didn't appear to have heard her.

He dodged the troll's attacks with the chain until one time, it was caught around one of the pillars. She watched as Legolas traveled along the chain onto the creature's back and shooting an arrow at it. He jumped down as the troll cried out.

She winced as she looked over at Sam, who was hitting the orcs with a pan.

"I think I'm getting the hang of this," he said as he continued to do it.

Narcissis continued to watch the members of the Fellowship, not even noticing the troll head in her direction. Aragorn wasn't far from her, keeping the orcs from her and he didn't even see the troll either. He looked up at it and was a bit surprised by its sudden appearance.

He managed to get out of the way and the troll loomed over the gargoyle. Legolas managed to look over at them to see the scene.

"Nanaylia," he whispered as he stepped forward.

He hurried towards his sister and towered over her, an arrow pointed at the cave troll, who snarled upon seeing the elf. He swung his club at the elf who barely dodged out of the way. Legolas found himself being hit by a stray rock that went in his direction after the club connected with the ground. He cringed in pain as he clutched his upper arm. Narcissis gasped and stood in front of her brother, arms out to her side. She growled as she stared at the troll before her.

It stared at her for a few moments before moving away from them.

"What happened? Why didn't it attack you?" wondered Legolas, a cringe of pain in his voice.

"I'm unsure. Maybe because I am a gargoyle," replied Narcissis as she lowered her arms. "Will you be fine?"

Legolas nodded as he rubbed his arm. He tried to hide the wound from the gargoyle's worried eyes. For some strange reason, Legolas almost seemed angry with her, again for teh same reasin as earlier: for following them. He couldn't shake the feeling and he wished he knew why. It was then that he couldn't keep the anger locked up inside.

"'Tis a small scratch. Nothing serious," he told her in an angry voice. "Leave me alone. I can handle this. Stay out of the fight. You have caused enough trouble with the mere fact that you have followed us."

Narcissis watched him as he stood back up.

_'What did she do to you? And how did she do it without me seeing it?'_ she asked herself.

The troll made its way towards the hobbits. Pippin gasped as he and Merry went in one direction while Frodo went in another. The Ringbearer tried not to be seen by the creature after Aragorn called out to him. In the end, the troll found him and dragged him off the ledge. He stabbed at the troll.

"Aragorn!" he called out. "Aragorn!"

"Frodo!" cried Aragorn.

He jumped in between the troll and Frodo, using a long spear to stab in the troll abdomen area. It cried out before hurtling Aragorn across the room, against a pillar. It knocked him out cold and Frodo hurried over to him. The troll soon walked after them and cornered Frodo, stabbing him. Frodo gasped out in pain. Gandalf twirled around to look at the scene. Merry and Pippin also looked on in shock before throwing rocks at it and jumping on its back.

"Frodo?" Sam said. "Frodo!"

The hobbit was soon making its way towards his friend as the others continued to fight.

Frodo soon fell to the ground as Merry and Pippin continued their voyage on the back of the troll. Merry was thrown off and the troll was trying to get at the other members of the Fellowship until Legolas had his bow prepared, aimed at the troll. Pippin liffted up the head and the elf released the arrow. It let out one last groan before falling to the ground, dead, with Pippin flying off. The Fellowship didn't bother to look at it before hurrying over to Frodo.

"Oh no," Aragorn said as Narcissis hurried up to them.

Aragorn tuned him over and it was then that Frodo coughed, making everyone relieved.

"He's alive," Sam said with relief obvious in his voice.

"I'm not hurt," Frodo said.

"You should be dead. The spear would have skewered a wild boar," Aragorn told him. "It's amazing you are still alive."

"I think that there is more than meets the eye," Gandalf said as he eyed Frodo, noticing the glimmer of mithril underneath the hobbit's clothes.

Narcissis wondered what he was talking about, knowing that the statement hit close to home. She looked at Frodo and smiled once hse saw the mithril vest.

"Mithril. Such a material. I believe this is the I've seen it. Some people can be full of surprises. One can never know what goes on in one's mind," she said as she looked at the wizard out of the corner of her eye.

"You're full of surprises Master Baggins," Gimli told the hobbit.

Gandalf saw this and gave a small smile, knowing what she was talking about. He soon looked over at Legolas and saw that the elf's shoulder was slightly bleeding.

_'How did that happen?'_ wondered Gandalf but the question was soon no longer first priority as he heard something outside the room.

They all heard it and the wizard became worried with it.

"To the bridge of Khazad-dum," he said before they all hurried out of the room.

They headed towards the bridge. Narcissis was flying above them, finding it a lot quicker. As they ran through the area, they found themselves being surrounded by many orcs and the Fellowship prepared themselves.

But it didn't last long.

A great roar went throughout the room and the many orcs which recently surrounded them immediately left them and disappeared.

"What is this new devilry?" wondered Boromir as Narcissis landed behind him.

He glanced behind him at her. He was becoming more nervous with what was heading towards them. He was nervous with the presence of the gargoyle and now this, whatever it was. Narcissis growled as if defending herself and it soon turned into a staring contest. That caused Aragorn to step in between the two, which made the two stop.

Legolas glanced back and sighed at the scene before waiting to see what Gandalf had to say.

"It is a Balrog. A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you," the wizard said, glancing over at the gargoyle. "Run!"

The group followed him, with Narcisis taking to the air again. Boromir ran through a doorway and soon found himself almost falling off a broken stairway. Legolas hurried up behind him and pulled him back.

Aragorn looked at Gandalf as he leaned against the wall.

"Head for the bridge," Gandalf instructed him.

"I can't leave you here! That creature..." the man started as Legolas hurried back to him.

"Come on Aragorn. We should go," the elf told him.

"Listen to him Aragorn. No weapon that we have is of any more use. Nothing will work against it," Gandalf told him, trying to make the man head towards the bridge.

Aragorn looked over at the bridge before reluctantly heading towards it. But not before Gandalf headed towards it. The man wondered what was going through the wizard's mind as the group headed towards it.

They soon came to a gap in the stairway and Legolas jumped over to the other side. He cringed a bit in pain and was almost to take a step forward. He managed not to before turning around to the others. The elf looked up and took notice of the rest of the Fellowship. The gargoyle hovering above them, in case they might need her. He wondered how many of them would mind having the arms of a gargoyle around their bodies. She soon landed beside him and he sighed as he looked at Gandalf.

"Gandalf, come on," the elf him to him.

Gandalf jumped and landed beside the elf. Narcissis looked over at Aragorn and Frodo, noticing that the hobbit was slightly uncomfortable. With what, she didn't know as she looked towards Gimli. The dwarf was refusing to be tossed so he jumped. His feet barely caught the step and the gargoyle hurried towards him. She saw that Legolas had caught the dwarf's beard.

"What the...?" he asked as he felt himself being pushed onto solid ground.

Gimli stared at the gargoyle, wondering why she did that as Boromir grasped onto Merry and Pippin before jumping across the gap. The dwarf began to wonder about his opinion about gargoyles.

_'What is it about her that seems so familiar? She almost seems a bit protective of the elf and Aragorn. Why is that? How does she know them and how long has she known them?' _he thought to himself as he watched her.

Aragorn and Frodo were trying to get to where the others were from the now unstable piece of stairway. It was now moving and Aragorn told Frodo to move forward. They soon found out they didn't have to worry as Narcissis flew towards them and grabbed Aragorn around the waist. She knelt down long enough on the stairs for Frodo to climb on her back. The stairs toppled down as she flew above the scene. The Fellowship was happy to see this.

Frodo looked over Narcissis as she flew in the air. He could see the scars over her body and wondered what they were from. The one that sparked his curiousity the most was one on her shoulder.

_'What happened that she received this scar? And what about the others ones she has?'_ he asked himself.

The questions soon left his mind as he felt a dropping sensation. Narcissis was losing altitude and losing it quickly. The hobbit looked to see that she was headed towards the other members of the Fellowship.

"What's happening?" asked Frodo.

"I misjudged the weight of you both. I cannot stay up any longer," came the gargoyle's reply. "I can't stay up. We'll have to head down. Hold on!"

Aragorn noticed the fear in her voice as his feet soon contacted with solid ground. He twirled around to see where Frodo was only to see the gargoyle was no longer in view. Legolas hurried towards the side and Aragorn hurried towards the elf to see that the gargoyle had grasped the edge, with Frodo still on her back.

"Climb up," she told the hobbit.

"What?" Frodo asked, not believeing what he was hearing.

"Climb up. Go on without me," she repeated.

The hobbit reluctantly did as he was told and was soon pulled up by the elf. After he was up, both Aragorn and Legolas pulled the gargoyle up.

"What's going on?" wondered Legolas in a quiet voice.

"I cannot go on. Please, leave without me. I will only slow you down," she barely replied as her wings flapped once.

"I will not leave you!" Legolas replied, almost shouting it out.

"But you will. I will meet up with you again. Just go without me. Trust me," she replied.

Gandalf walked up to the elf and placed a hand on his shoulder. Legolas knew what he was going to say. He wasn't sure what he was going to tell Elladan yet about what she was doing and what he was about to do.

The group of nine hurried towards the bridge of Khazad-dum and hurried across it. They saw the Balrog coming up behind them and Gandalf faced it.

"You shall not pass!" the wizard cried out.

"Gandalf!" cried Frodo.

He was worried now. First, the gargoyle who had helped him and Aragorn was left behind on her request. Now Gandalf was facing off against this creature, one of shadow and flame. The group watched as the Balrog lifted an arm and it appeared he threw something. Legolas soon fell to the ground and they were surprised. They looked to see that Narcissis had been thrown into his direction and now she lay on top of him. She groaned as Gimli and Aragorn hurried up to them. The gargoyle was lying on top of him and they gently rolled her off. Legolas moaned as he tried to stand up, several scratches over his arms.

"Legolas!" cried Aragorn, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Aragorn, what hit me?" asked the elf.

"Na...Narcissis was thrown at you. It was the Balrog that threw her at you. Why did he do that?" Aragorn replied.

Legolas looked over at the creature before his stare came back to Aragorn.

"I will explain later. I tihnk I might know," he replied before hurrying over to his sister.

The elf placed a hand on his head and stood up before looking over at the gargoyle, who was lying unconscious nearby. He looked over her and saw that she was stirring. It was apparent that she received no further injuries. She opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Lego?" she quietly said, forgetting where she was.

Legolas looked over at Gimli and became worried, afraid that the dwarf might have heard what she said. She soon became fully aware of her surroundings. She looked at her brother with slight confusion written on her face as she looked at Gandalf facing the Balrog.

He looked over at Gandalf, who had forced part of the bridge to break and fall, taking the Balrog with it. The wizard started to turn away but the whip caught his ankle and was forced downwards. He was clinging to the side and looked at the other members of the Fellowship.

"Gandalf!" Frodo cried out, trying to get to him but was stopped.

"Fly you fools," was all Gandalf said before releasing his grip.

Frodo was distraught as he looked at the scene. Aragorn watched helplessly as he started to follow the others. He saw that Legolas and Narcissis were helping each other get out of the room as the arrows began to bombard them.

00000

They managed to reach the outside world. The hobbits began to cry from the recent experience of losing Gandalf. Legolas seemed to be a bit confused from the experience since he was still unfamiliar with death, even after what happened to his sister. Boromir was upset with what happened.

Narcissis looked over at her brother and the confused look on his face.

"Legolas, even after what happened all those years ago, we are still confused when faced with death," she mused.

Legolas stared at her with sadness in his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to hug her but he somehow found the restraint not to in front of the others. He figured he would wait until nightfall and when they were in a safe haven: when they were in Lothlorien which was nearby. He knew that they would probably get there the next day.

"And I have hated it every day for 15 years that I had to live with that for centuries," Legolas quietly said as he heard Aragorn.

"Legolas, get them up," Aragorn told him.

"Give them a moment for pity's sake," Boromir protested. "I mean, we just lost Gandalf to that creature! They mourn for him. We all do."

"By nightfall, these hills will be swarming with orcs. We need to reach the woods of Lothlorien before they overwhelm us," Aragorn replied as he sheathed his sword.

00000

A pair of eyes watched the group of nine as they sat outside the mountainside.

"They survived the Watcher and got through the mines? They are more resilient than I thought. I might have to deal with Legolas myself," she said to herself.

She flapped her wings and prepared herself.

00000

Aragorn heard the flapping of wings and quickly looked around. He saw that Narcissis was sitting on the ground. She appeared to be a little shaken still. He became worried as he looked towards the sky.

"She's back," he cried.

Boromir, Legolas and Gimli looked in the direction Aragorn was looking in and saw the gargoyle heading towards them. Shentree landed on the ground in the middle of the group, causing them to scatter a bit. Her stare came to Narcissis and growled.

"You will die and so will your brother. The Watcher didn't take care of you and neither did anything in the Mines of Moria. It looks like I will have to do it myself after all," Shentree growled at the paler gargoyle. "Then I will take care of the rest of these pitiful men, dwarves, and hobbits that you call your friends."

Narcissis shook her head as she growled as well. The Fellowship watched as Shentree appeared to be ready to jump at the other gargoyle.

Legolas watched, feeling helpless with the scene before him as Shentree decided to lunge at Narcissis.

TBC....


	10. One Stubborn Gargoyle

Legolas managed to react quickly and hurried for Narcissis. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her from the path of the angry gargoyle. He turned their bodies so that he landed on the ground and she landed on top of him. He grunted out in pain as his body hit a rock. He also noticed that wings were covering his view until she got off him. He could tell that she was quite worried about him.

Shentree growled as she landed in the area that Narcissis once occupied. She looked over to where Legolas and Narcissis were now. She looked over at the Fellowship and growled even louder.

"You try and help them and you will all die. Remember that," she told them as she saw Boromir and Aragorn grab the hilts of their sword. "This does not concern you!"

Aragorn sighed as he didn't take his sword out. Boromir glanced over at him and had to do a double take.

"Are you really going to allow this to happen?" demanded Boromir, facing the ranger.

"We have to let them do this. It is their fight. Not ours. We shouldn't interfere with it," replied Aragorn. _'Well, at least it's not _their_ fight. I became part of it years ago when _I_ traveled to the Dark Forest and I escaped from it as well with the twins and Legolas. I guess Shentree wants the Mirkwood siblings more since they've escaped more than once. I am still a bit unsure why she doesn't want to see me dead. At least not yet, she doesn't.'_

Frodo and the hobbits, and even Gimli, were all just as surprised as Boromir when Aragorn said that statement. He looked at each and every one of them.

"You mean we're just going to let them do that? They'll kill each other!" protested Sam as he stepped forward.

"I know what I'm doing Sam," Aragorn replied as he turned to face the hobbit.

His stare turned back to the gargoyles and elf. Legolas was still on the ground and appeared to be gasping for air. The gargoyles were facing each other again as the elf tried to climb to his feet.

"You cannot possibly win this! I am stronger and faster than you! I always have been," Shentree snarled.

"If I die, it won't be because of you!" Narcissis replied.

Neither of them noticed that Legolas climbed to his feet. No one did. He looked at the two quarreling before him and immediately thought of his sister's pregnancy. He didn't want her to lose the child and he wanted to be an uncle. He supposed that Elrohir wanted to be as well.

"No," he quietly said as he started to head towards them. "No!"

He hurried towards the two and found he couldn't get in between get in between them. He continued to watch them. He carefully watched their moves.

Shentree was growling and so was Narcissis until the darker gargoyle bared her claws. Narcissis became nervous with this action but still kept her ground.

"You will die here and now!" cried Shentree as she lunged again.

Legolas jumped in between the path of the gargoyle and found himself on his back on the ground. He had given Narcissis enough time to jump back out of the way. He cried out in pain as he landed on the ground, a stinging sensation ripping through his chest area.

"Legolas," she whispered, the sadness in her eyes as she fell to her knees.

She fell to the ground and looked behind herself at the Fellowship. Aragorn saw the saw look that she was giving him and he gave a slight nod.

The elf cried out at the pain. Shentree had managed to give Legolas several scratches on his arms. He found his strength was leaving him and he couldn't resist the gargoyle's advances.

"I was going for her but you will do nicely first," Shentree quietly said into his ear. "Then I will kill her and the new life that now grows within her. I know that it gives her much pain since she first became that way in elf form."

Legolas gave a small gasp as he realized that she knew for some time that Narcissis was with child. Legolas looked over at Narcissis and he saw that the gargoyle was now kneeling on the ground, arms around her stomach. She was now looking at him with a sad look.

Aragorn was watching and he knew that was the moment to do something. He surprised everyone by pulling out his bow and an arrow and releasing it. It hit Shentree in the upper leg, in the thigh and she yelped in pain. She climbed off of Legolas and flew off into the sky. Everyone appeared shocked as they looked at the man who ever so recently shot the arrow.

"And I thought we couldn't interfere since it was their fight. Why did you?" Boromir wondered as Sam and the others nodded.

"No, it was not your fight but it was also my fight. More than you will ever realize," Aragorn replied as he headed over to the elf.

The Fellowship was confused as they watched Aragorn place a hand on Legolas' shoulder as he lay on the ground.

"Legolas, where do you hurt?" Aragorn asked him.

"Everywhere," mumbled Legolas as he moved his head.

He tried to climb to his feet and Aragorn held him back down.

"Let me see if there are any injuries that require bandaging. Then we will leave," Aragorn told him.

"No, we leave now. I will allow you to check my injuries later. Right now, we have to move," Legolas replied as he tried to climb to his feet. "We cannot afford to let the orcs to find us."

Aragorn tried to protest but the elf was already almost to his feet. He helped Legolas to his feet and began to help the elf away from the scene.

Boromir headed over to them and began to help the elf as Aragorn hurried over to the gargoyle. He knew that no one else wanted to help her.

"Aragorn, thank you," she told him.

"You're welcome," Aragorn replied.

00000

As the fire burned, Legolas sat beside the flames, trying to get himself warm. He looked over at Narcissis, who was lying on the ground next to him, asleep. He smiled as he placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair a bit.

Aragorn walked over to them and saw the slight smile on his face.

"Legolas," he said, causing the elf to look at him.

"Aragorn. How are the others?" asked Legolas.

"They are fine. Narcissis will be fine after some time. I think she's just a bit shook up after this whole ordeal," Aragorn replied. "I think all she wants to do now is go home."

Legolas had seen the bandages over her injuries and he was not happy. Shentree had done quite a bit of damage during her attack but his was worse than hers. Aragorn took this time to check over Legolas' wounds.

"They do not appear to be serious wounds but what I am worried about are your ribs," Aragorn said, noticing Legolas' difficulty breathing since Shentree's second attack against him.

Legolas gasped as the touch of Aragorn's hand across his ribs.

"I think one or more may be broken or cracked. I hope there are no more internal injuries which were caused by this," Aragorn replied. "Once we reach Lothlorien, you will be tended to by the healers there."

"I will be fine," Legolas replied, looking away from the man.

"You always say that when you never are," came a quiet voice.

Legolas looked to where the voice came from to stare at Narcissis, who had awoken from the conversation.

"Shentree will be back and you know it. Gargoyles are hard to kill, no matter what you do to them. I just wish that now, we never went to the Dark Forest all those centuries ago. I wouldn't be in the position I am now, worrying about your life," Narcissis explained. "Lego, I would like you to tell me something right now."

"And what would that be?" asked Legolas, fixing his gaze to the ground.

"Why did you rescue me from Shentree earlier today? You had the choice not to do so yet you did," she wondered. "Now the others wonder about what kind of relationship you have with me."

He was slightly surprised from the question as he looked up at her.

"W...why did I?" he repeated, stuttering a bit.

"Yes Legolas. Why? You almost seemed to be slightly guilty from something. What is it?" she wondered. "You can tell me."

Legolas stared away from her, unable to answer. The man decided to leave for he realized that this was a private family moment.

"I... I did it because I was guilty. When I thought you died all those years ago from the wolves, I became guilty from it because I couldn't stop it and I believed that it was my fault. I felt as if I should have done more but unable to do it. I felt as if I could have, and should have, saved your life but I didn't. You were dead. I wanted to believe for years that you would walk through the doors into our home. I had felt that if it wasn't for me, you'd still be alive," Legolas explained. "I felt that if I didn't do something this time, it would have been the incident with the wolves all over again, where I could have done more but it never happened. I couldn't let that happen."

The tears started to well up in their eyes at the memories.

"Lego, I never realized this," she quietly said, looking away.

As she did so, she noticed something across the camp and soon heard the screaming.

"What the...?" she started. "Is she back again? I cannot believe that she is back this soon. I actually wasn't expecting her until later."

Legolas turned to see that Shentree was indeed back and she angrier than ever. The arrow had been broken and the blood and slowed, almost stopped.

"I am so close, I will not let it slip out of my fingers! I have waited centuries to do what I'm about to do. Give me the elf and the gargoyle! Now!" she cried at them, walking towards the group.

Everyone could tell that she was walking with a limp as she headed towards them. Despite that, she was still moving quickly.

_'Now, this gargoyle seems to fit the stories. The ones of ferocious creatures that quarrel with others and who attack without remorse. Why doesn't the other one? Who is the one from the story I heard several months ago?' _wondered Boromir. "I am sorry but I cannot let you do that!"

The man headed towards the gargoyle, prepared to draw his sword if necessary. Shentree growled as she managed to lunge at him. Boromir barely got out of the way and she fell to the ground. She landed near Pippin and grabbed the hobbit. He squirmed in her grasp and cried out.

"Help!" he cried.

"Pippin!" cried Frodo and Merry in unison.

They tried to hurry towards their friend but Aragorn stepped in front of them.

"Why are you stopping us? What about Pippin? He's in the clutches of that madwoman!" demanded Merry.

"I know. That's why I'm going to deal with it," Aragorn replied, anger in his voice.

He stepped up to the gargoyle as she held onto the hobbit. Pippin's eyes were wide, staring right at the man.

"I hope you know what you're doing Aragorn," Pippin said, the fear obvious in his voice.

Aragorn didn't answer the hobbit as the others watched. Aragorn walked up to the gargoyle. The man growled and the gargoyle growled back.

"You are in no condition to deal with us," Aragorn quietly told her.

"Maybe I'm not but I will be back. But don't think I won't leave without some turmoil," Shentree replied as she began to flap her wings.

Pippin became extremely scared at this.

"Merry!" he cried out, trying to reach out for his friend.

"Pippin!" Merry cried out, running in the direction that the gargoyle was heading.

The gargoyle snickered at the sight before her. She went to a height of about 20 feet in the air and stayed there for a moment before dropping the hobbit. Pippin began to scream as soon as he was dropped. Aragorn hurried over to where Pippin was landing and managed to catch him before he hit the ground.

"Aragorn! What is going on here?" Pippin wanted to know. "Things that she is saying do not make sense. Different actions that have been done do not make sense either. What are they all about? And how do you and Legolas know her?"

"Everything will be explained but not now," Aragorn replied. "Now is not the time."

The man set the hobbit back onto his feet and Aragorn began to head back to Legolas and Narcissis. Once he reached them, he sat down next to them.

"We should leave and head for Lothlorien. It's not safe out here with Shentree roaming out here, looking for the two of you, wanting to kill both of you," Aragorn quietly told them.

"We both realize that but we will wait until morning to leave," Legolas replied.

Aragorn began to open his mouth but was cut off by the elf lifting his hand.

"Listen to me for once. Please. I know you would like to leave but it would be better if we travel during the day," Legolas told him, hoping the man knew what he was refering to.

Aragorn sighed at the elf's words but he knew that Legolas knew what he was talking about. And the incident that elf was talking about.

"Alright, we wait until morning to leave," Aragorn finally said.

He was nervous on what the night would bring and so were the others. They were all wondering if, and when, Shentree would be back.

00000

The Fellowship found themselves outside the woods of Lothlorien. They hurried into the shelter of the trees.

Legolas cautiously looked around trhe place. He knew that if there were any elves around, they would know he and the others were there.

He glanced around as Gimli turned to face the hobbits.

"Be careful hobbits. They say a sorceress lives in these woods. Whoever look upon her, fall under her spell. We have to be very careful," the dwarf told them. "We cannot fall into the spell of the witch."

Frodo watched the group as they walked urther into the woods. He was preoccupied with something when he heard a voice.

_'Frodo,' _it said.

The hobbit had to take one glanced and wondered where it was coming from.

_'You bring great evil here,' _the voice said. _'And be warned that all it not as it appears.'_

Frodo narrowed his eyes slightly at that last comment.

_'All is not as it appears? What does that mean?' _he wondered to himself.

_'You should know this. I know what you overheard a while back. All will be explained in time,'_ the voice replied. _'I know that you desire to know the truth about it. There will be answers given to you.'_

Frodo wondered how this person knew all that she knew but he decided to wait until later to ask questions. He looked over at Narcissis and saw that she was walking as quickly as she could as not to hold back the others. She seemed a bit nervous in the surroundings.

"I do not like being here," she muttered.

"I cannot see why. The elves here are our friends," Legolas wondered as he glanced over at her.

"Yes, I know they are but that is not what is worrying me at the moment," she replied as she sat down for a moment.

She stopped and Legolas walked a few steps before stopping as well. The others members of the Fellowship stopped as well.

"Then what is worrying you?" Legolas had to ask.

"Everything," she replied as she stood up and leaned against a tree for support.

"Never mind the elves. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox," Gimli huffed. "They will not get by me. I do not see why you are so worried."

His answer, and everyone else's answer came in the form of an arrow embedded in a tree... sitting right next to Narcissis' head.

TBC...


	11. Tempers Fly in Lothlorien

Narcissis gasped as she raised her hands into the air. The group found themselves surrounded by elves. Several of them. Legolas had his bow aimed back at them and he looked over to the gargoyle. She had a half dozen elves standing around her, their bows aimed right at her and ready for anything that she might do.

"Don't even think about moving," one told her in Elvish.

She gulped as she complied with what they were saying. She nodded her head as she leaned her back against the tree.

"Alright, I will not move," she replied in Elvish.

"Do not even speak," another told her.

"What is going on here?" Boromir had to ask as he stepped forward.

One of theh elves spoke in Elvish and Legolas had to sigh, knowing the Lothlorien elves would think that way.

"It's Narcissis. It is because she is a gargoyle. They know that they are a dangerous race so they are being prepared for any actions that she may do. They are expecting anything," Legolas replied as another elf walked up to the group. "They don't know that she will not do anything."

The elf who recently arrived was surprised by the scene but he should have figured that would be how his fellow elves would react to her.

"What is going here?" Haldir demanded to know as he looked around at everyone.

"Haldir! So nice to see you again!" Narcissis told him but she received a smack to the face.

The group watched as she was forced to kneel in front of Haldir. The look on his face was not a happy one.

"What is going on here?" Pippin demanded to know.

"Yes," agreed Merry. "There are so many questions that we have and no one is willing to answer them!"

Legolas helplessly watched as he realized what he was going on.

"It's because she is a gargoyle. They are considered to be a dangerous race," Legolas quietly said as he lowered his bow.

Narcissis looked up at the elf she was kneeling before. She looked at Haldir to see the unhappy look on his face as he looked at the other elves, who still had their bows aimed at her.

"So what is going to happen to me Haldir?" she asked him with a sigh. "Am I going to die?"

He didn't answer her as he stepped around her and stood in between her and the other elves, an angry stare on his face.

"No one is to harm her," Haldir said, surprising everyone there.

"She is a gargoyle! You cannot be serious!" protested one as they lowered their bows somewhat.

"Lower your bows now! While she is here, and any other time, no one is to threaten this gargoyle's life. If anyone does, they will have to deal with me," Haldir replied in a stern voice.

The elves were greatly surprised by this as they lowered their bows completely.

"Haldir! She is a dangerous creature!" another said.

"Maybe other gargoyles are but she is not," Haldir replied. "Remember what I said. No one is to harm her in any way, whether it be physical or emotionally. If anyone does, they will have to deal with me. Is that understood?"

The elves gulped and nodded. Somewhat satisfied, he turned and knelt in front of the gargoyle, who had her arms around herself.

"Narcissis, can you hear me?" Haldir asked her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Aragorn was confused as he watched the scene. He glanced over at Legolas before leaning in towards the elf, being confused by the scene.

"Why is Haldir so protective of Narcissis?" he wondered.

"I will explain later. Actually, it will probably be Haldir who will explain it to you if you ask him," Legolas managed to say.

"Narcissis, can you hear me?" Haldir repeated, the other elves still plainly nervous and confused by his actions.

Narcissis was shivering yet the gargoyle's eyes wandered to her brother and Haldir followed her stare to see that Legolas was almost to the point of collapsing.

"Legolas!" Haldir cried as he hurried over to the elf.

Almost immediately after Haldir reached him, Legolas' legs gave out from under him. Aragorn and Haldir both managed to catch him before he fell to the ground.

"What happened? Who did this to him?" Haldir demanded to know, facing Aragorn.

"Shentree attacked us," replied Aragorn.

"Shentree. Who's that? The name sounds so familiar. Where have heard it before?" Haldir said as he looked over at Narcissis, who was still on her knees.

"She's a friend of Banside," she told him with a glint of anger in her voice.

"Banside. I should have known it was another one like him," Haldir muttered.

"There's a third but you really don't have to worry about him as much. His name is Sathed. He is more harmless than his friends," Aragorn explained.

"We should get these two to Lothlorien so they can be tended to. Follow me. I will have to take you to Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel," Haldir replied as he headed towards Narcissis.

He gently helped her up and began to aid her as Aragorn and another elf helped Legolas towards the Elven city.

00000

Haldir led the group through the woods. He was worried about the gargoyle and Legolas. He was taking them to Galadriel and Celeborn first since he knew they would want to know who was there.

He looked over at Narcissis to see that she was apparently feeling better.

"Are you able to walk now on your own?" he quietly asked her.

She nodded as she moved away from him and began to walk on her own. With a slight limp, he noticed, but still on her own.

He led the group inside. Haldir sighed for he knew that they were receiving many stares and most of them would probably be in anger because of the gargoyle with them. Haldir looked over at Legolas, who was more alert after the incident in the forest. He, too, was walking on his own again.

"Will you be alright?" Aragorn quietly asked him.

Legolas nodded as they continued to head further inside. He watched as they came to a set of stairs. His stare soon came to two figures descending the steps. The two walked to them and everyone looked over the two elves.

Galadriel's stare looked over each of the visitors. Her sight soon came to the gargoyle, who was trying to hide behind Haldir. She didn't appear to be too happy as she stepped toward the gargoyle, who then took a few steps away.

"I cannot believe that you would come into my realm like this!" she quietly told her, keeping her anger in check. "I have to request that you segregate yourself from everyone else here. I cannot alarm my people even further with your presence. You know where to go."

Narcissis gulped at the words, watching as Galadriel turned her stare towards Haldir.

"Haldir! Please escort her away. She knows where to go," Galadriel told him.

He nodded as he led her away from the group. Legolas watched them with worry in his eyes as they walk away. Celeborn soon began to talk.

"Eight are here yet nine left from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf? I have desired to talk to him for some time," Celeborn told them. "I cannot wait any longer to speak with him. I have watched enough from afar."

Galadirel's gaze went over each and every one of them. The look on her face turned to one of great worry.

"He has fallen," Galadirel suddenly stated, her anger almost completely gone.

Her husband looked at her, the look on his face not a happy one.

"Be warned for this quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of everyone," Galadriel told them as she slowly looked over them. "And there is more to different events and people than than meets the eye. Questions that lay on different people's hearts will be explained in time."

Her eyes came to Boromir and she could tell that he was upset. She soon came to Frodo and looked over him. She could also tell that he was as well. But she had sensed some confusion within him long before he stepped in front of her.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled," she told them. "Go now and rest. You are protected within these borders from those who pose any of you harm."

She glanced over at Frodo almost as she finished speaking.

_'Everything will be explained, Frodo of the Shire. The one who has seen the eye!'_ Galadriel told him in his mind.

00000

Haldir became nervous as he escorted Narcissis down the hallway. He noticed where they were heading.

"Narcissis, do I dare ask...?" he started.

"I know where I am going," she replied as she stopped and leaned against the wall.

"You are not well. What is the matter?" asked the elf. "I would like to know where you are going."

"Haldir, I..." she started.

"Please tell me the truth," Haldir told her in a stern voice.

She placed a hand over his eyes, wondering how she should tell him.

"All I know about you is what you told me when I first met you. Ever since you have saved my life several months ago in Mirkwood, I have been trying to find you and repay you. Now that I can help you, I need to know things so I can help you," Haldir explained.

She gave a small snicker as she turned her face away from him.

"You always had a chance to repay me, as you wanted. All you had to do was ask," she quietly said.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, not completely understanding.

"You do not understand. I have always been in Mirkwood. I tried to tell you after you were found but I became scared. When you asked about my injury, I... I didn't tell you the truth," Narcissis replied.

Haldir narrowed his eyes, not believing what he was hearing.

"Na... Nanaylia?" he said as he grasped her shoulders.

She nodded her head slightly and she looked at him. Haldir smiled at her.

"I never knew what to expect. I vaguely remember overhearing that you had a gargoyle form but I thought you were another race of gargoyle once I met you," Haldir told her. "I do not blame you for being scared though." 

Thank you for understanding," she said before heading towards the door.

"I suppose you do not want everyone coming into your room," Haldir wondered, believing he already knew the answer.

"No, I do not. My brother, Aragorn, you, Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel, please, to be the only ones," she replied before heading into the room.

He stared at the door and sighed before starting to walk away from the door before he ehard it open again.

"Haldir, could you do one small thing for me please?" came her voice.

The elf turned around and smiled, now recognizing the voice of Thranduil's only daughter.

"What is it that I can do for you?" he replied.

00000

Legolas held a jug in his hands as he walked a few steps. He heard singing in the air and stopped, turning a bit. His face was one of slight sorrow. Aragorn could tell that there were many things on the elf's mind.

"It is a lament to Gandalf," he said as Aragorn watched from afar.

"What do they say about him?" asked Merry, looking towards the elf.

"I have not the heart to tell you. For me, the grief is still too near," Legolas replied, placing his index finger and thumb on the bridge of his nose.

Aragorn carefully watched the elf's actions and he became more worried than ever. He noticed the elf's strange behaviour since the mines. The elf was acting almost - how should he put it? - rude towards him and Nanaylia. Aragorn noticed how determined the elf was to do this quest without the aide of his sister.

_'The elf has not been himself lately. What is going on here?' _he asked himself as he stood up.

He walked over to the elf, placing a hand on his shoulder as the elf continued to appear unwell.

"Legolas, what is wrong?" he quietly asked.

"Nothing is wrong!" the elf snapped as Haldir walked out to them.

Haldir was a bit surprised with what he heard. He had known the Mirkwood elf for centuries and had never known him to act like that before.

"Greetings," Haldir told them as he looked over at Aragorn.

He saw the curious look on the man's face. It took the elf a moment to realize what it was for.

"I suppose you are wondering about what type of relationship I have with the gargoyle," Haldir told him, lowering his head slightly.

Aragorn nodded, intently listening to what Haldir had to say.

"She... she saved my life several months ago in Mirkwood from a gargoyle named Banside," Haldir explained. "I believe you might have heard of him already, judging by your earlier actions."

"Oh, I've more than heard of him. I met him," Aragorn replied, unable to hide the look of surprise on his face.

Aragorn couldn't believe what he just heard. He was surprised for he didn't know where the gargoyles had ended up after the incident 15 years before, after the elf they had followed for centuries died by the hands of Legolas.

_'So two of them are still alive. That is interesting,'_ Aragorn thought to himself. _'What more can I expect from the gargoyles? Guess I'll never know until it happens. I wonder if Sathed is still alive?'_

"Legolas?" the Lothlorien elf questioned.

"Haldir?" Legolas said, looking at his elf friend. "What is it now?"

Haldir leaned in closer so that only Aragorn and Legolas could hear him. Something was wrong.

"Your sister requests to see you," Haldir told him.

Legolas was a bit surprised by this but he ran as quickly as he could towards his sister's room. His ribs began to hurt along the way and he was trying to ignore it. The group watched him leave. Boromir glanced over at Haldir and Aragorn before walking over to them.

"What is the matter with him?" Boromir demanded to know.

Aragorn stared at him, neither of them answering. The two glanced at each other, wondering who should say anything first.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say that we want some answers. Where did that gargoyle come from? And why are you and Legolas so friendly with her? The two of you have been since the first time we laid eyes on her!" Boromir almost yelled out.

"I can't tell you," Aragorn replied.

"And why can't you tell us anything?" wondered Sam.

"Because it's not my place to tell you," replied Aragorn, remembering what he was first told the story when he was questioned about Legolas' sister.

"It's not your place? And how come it isn't your place?" asked Merry.

"You're asking me about something I do know things about but I feel you're asking the wrong person about this. Legolas is the one you should be asking," Aragorn replied, wondering if he would regret saying that.

Boromir was slightly surprised by this answer.

'_So he does know something? Why would he lie to me?' _Boromir asked himself as he looked in the direction that the elf went into.

00000

Legolas quickly headed up to the room that his sister stayed in while they were in Lothlorien. He knocked on the door and he heard a cry of pain. He opened up the door to see the room in slight disarray. He noticed that the blanket was missing from the bed. He began to look around the room and saw his sister huddled in a ball on the other side of the bed, the blanket covering her body. He almost missed her since she was close to it.

"Nanaylia, what is the matter?" he asked her.

"It hurts so much," came her quiet voice. "I hope what Elrond said..."

"What did Elrond say?" wondered Legolas as he placed a hand on her cheek and moved her head enough so that they made eye contact.

"He felt the child would be in danger if I stayed in gargoyle form for too long. I just hope I wasn't too late," she explained. "I feel that has been the cause of my pain."

"Listen to me! You are going to have that child! Somehow, I can sense it," he sternly told her, placing his other hand on her shoulder.

She nodded, believing what he was saying. She watched as Legolas hurried towards the closet to get her some clothes. He retrieved a dress and handed it to her. He looked over her and saw that she was nearly an elf again. Only a part of her wings remained.

_'Well, the wings are nearly gone. That is a good sign,'_ Legolas thought to himself and watched as they disappeared completely.

He turned around so that she could get dressed. Once she was, he turned to face her to see she was completely elf again.

"Nanaylia, I still want to know why you risked yourself in order to stop Shentree from attacking us," Legolas told her.

"Legolas! I did it to help you! You had no idea that she was following you! You might be seriously injured right now! Maybe even worse!" she protested, not believing what she was hearing.

"We could have dealt with her ourselves! You never did like the gargoyles. Are you certain that this was not an act of revenge?" Legolas asked as he began to circle her.

"You are not making any sense. What is wrong with you? You have never acted like this before, questioning my actions," Nanaylia asked him as she wacthed him. "It was not an act of revenge. Yes, they did terrible things to me during my stay in the forest but I am not like that! And if I remember correctly, I know of a certain brother of mine that also does not like the gargoyles for what they did to him as well. They hurt you physically and emotionally 15 years ago and I detest the fact that I was part of it."

"I am making sense. You had no right in following us," Legolas simply replied as he leaned in towards her.

The female elf could believe what she was hearing as she stared at her brother.

"What has happened to you?" she quietly asked herself.

Legolas walked over to the door and stood in front of it.

"Nothing has happened to me Nanaylia," he told her without looking around.

"While we are still talking, there is something else I should tell you _brother_," Nanaylia replied, anger obvious in her voice.

"And what is that now?" sighed Legolas as he turned around to face his sister.

"You already know that I am with Elladan's child. You should also know that we intend to do something special together after the ring is destroyed," Nanaylia told him in a stern voice.

"What? How could you do this to me?" Legolas demanded to know as he stepped towards his sister.

"We are doing this because we love each other! Why can't you see this? I wouldn't be carrying his child if I didn't care for him," Nanaylia replied, her temper being pushed towards its limits.

Legolas' temper was also being pushed and they could tell what the other was feeling.

"Why can't you see how I feel about Elladan?" Nanaylia demanded to know.

"Why couldn't you stay put in Imladris?" Legolas retorted.

Nanaylia couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her eyes read anger as she stormed towards the door yet Legolas grabbed her arm just before she reached it.

"Where do you think you're going?" he wanted to know.

"I am not going to stay here and listen to this. Either you go to the healers for help or I am going to get Aragorn and Haldir to drag you there. I might have to do that for I doubt you will go on your own," Nanaylia replied as she tried to move her arm from his grasp.

Legolas reacted to the movement and raised a hand. It connected with Nanaylia's face and her head snapped to one side.She placed her hand on her cheek, tears in her eyes.

"Legolas, there is something wrong. You've never hit me before," she quietly said, trying to head towards the door.

Her brother again stopped her. She struggled in his grasp and it wasn't too long until fists were flying and they were in an all-out brawl.

TBC...


	12. Slight Case of Amnesia or Something Else...

The two Mirkwood siblings were rolling around on the floor, their fists flying at each other. Legolas, angry as he was, was being mindful not to hit his sister in the abdomen area. Even though he was still slightly upset over the fact that she was carrying Elladan's child, he knew that hitting her there would be the same as her hitting him below the belt.

Soon, the rolling stopped and Legolas had his sister pinned to the ground and she was struggling underneath him. She was wondering how he was ignoring the pain in his ribs and his other injuries.

"Legolas, why can't you understand?" Nanaylia asked him as she tried to get out from underneath him.

"I already understand! You and Elladan were plotting against Elrohir and myself! I suppose the two of you thought of that truce during one of your conversations back in Mirkwood," Legolas replied as he held down his sister's arms.

Her legs were continuing to thrash about but Legolas soon moved into such a position above her that she could not hit him in any manner. She didn't know how much pain her brother was in from his injuries but she figured it was a lot from his ribs and other injuries.

"We talked about it yes, but it is not what you think! We talked about occuring for only a short time! Not permanantly! I don't want to act any differently because they never win!" Nanaylia cried out.

"I don't know if I can trust you anymore. First, you want a truce with the twins, then you don't bother to tell me about the child you're carrying! And it is Elladan's child on top of that!" Legolas angrily told her, continuing to ignore the immense pain he was in.

"I would have told you sooner if you hadn't left! Now let me go!" Nanaylia cried out at him. "What has gotten into you?"

"Nothing has gotten into me. If anything is the matter with me, I feel betrayed by my own sister," Legolas replied as he grasped both of her wrists with his one hand.

She still wriggled underneath him. She watched as he lifted his hand again and punched her in the face.

00000

Haldir and Aragorn were walking out in the hallway, talking to each other. The man was worried about his Elven friends

"So she saved your life? How?" Aragorn wanted to know, hoping that Haldir wouldn't mind talking about it.

"I was taken captive by Banside and several other gargoyles. Narcissis arrived at the camp and subsequently managed to get me out of there. But not before I was severely injured. So was she. Banside somehow knew that Narcissis had changed and turned away from them," explained Haldir as he glanced down the hall.

Aragorn sighed as he remembered whathappened the last time those three gargoyles were together.

_'Haldir,'_ Galadriel's voice suddenly filled the elf's head._ 'Go to Nanaylia's room! There is great turmoil within them! Go to them before someone gets hurts! I fear that they will turn on each other and something will happen.'_

"Oh no," Haldir said before he turned and hurried down the halls towards the younger elf's room.

Aragorn watched him leave down the hall, wondering what was going on.

00000

Haldir hurried up to the door and listened in for a moment. He heard nothing at first but quiet voices talking to each other. He gasped as he listened in on the conversation. The voices soon escalated into a full scale argument. Soon after that, he was hearing something which sounded like punches connecting with skin and other noises sounding like bodies connecting with the floor.

He quickly opened the door to reveal Legolas hovering over his sister, whom he was still pinning against the floor.

"Legolas!" she cried out, still trying to get her brother off of her.

Haldir hurried over to them and pulled Legolas off of his sister. The brother was obviously angry as Haldir pulled him away from his sister.

"What is this all about?" Haldir demanded as he shoved Legolas against the door and held him there though being mindful of the elf's injuries.

"I cannot trust my sister. She does not tell me things that I need to know," replied Legolas as he gave his sister a glare.

Nanaylia never looked over at the two as she knelt on the ground, away from them. One hand was holding herself up as the other was up to her neck as she gasped for air.

"Nanaylia, are you alright?" Haldir asked her, not even turning around.

"I will be fine," she barely managed to say.

"No, you are not fine. Get yourself to one of the healers," Haldir replied.

She nodded as Haldir moved Legolas from the door and backed him up against a nearby wall. She looked at them as she stumbled out of the room. Haldir carefully watched her before returning his gaze to Legolas.

"Now Legolas, I still would like to know why you were beating up your sister," Haldir angrily told him.

"How can I know you will tell the truth? How do I know she hasn't told you yet?" Legolas demanded, his eyes staring out into space.

"Wha...? What would I know? Something about your sister? Besides finding out what your sister looks like as a gargoyle, I know nothing. She has not told me anything besides that," Haldir replied in a disbelieving voice.

"You mean you don't know anything about her being with Elladan's child?" Legolas retorted.

Haldir paled slightly at the news. His gripped slightly loosened on the Mirkwood elf.

"She is with Elladan's child?" Haldir wanted to confirm.

"Yes, she is so. I am surprised you haven't known before," Legolas said, still struggling.

Legolas managed to free himself from Haldir's grasp.

"So because your sister is having a child with the man she loves, you're turning against her? I don't believe you. I thought you were more accepting than that. I thought you would have been happy that you're going to be an uncle. I know the twins fairly well because my lord and lady are their grandparents. I can imagine how estactic Elladan is because he is going to be a father. He confided in me a long time ago about possibly having children someday. He told me about how happy he would be the day his child came into this world. Elrohir would also be happy: for both his brother and the fact he would have a niece or nephew to call his own," Haldir replied. "After all your sister went through, she deserves to have some happiness in her life. I think all she wants is for her family to be happy as well."

Legolas couldn't help but stare at the elf standing before him.

"What have I done?" Legolas asked as he leaned against the wall.

He slid down it, unable to stand on his own two feet anymore and unable to hide the terrble pain he was feeling. Haldir hurried over to his side and placed a comforting hand on the Mirkwood elf's arm. Legolas shook his head slightly before staring at Haldir with a confused look on his face.

"What are you doing here Haldir?" asked a slightly confused Legolas.

It was then that Haldir became confused as well. How come the elf didn't remember him being there?

"What do you mean by that?" wondered Haldir. "I've been in here for the past several minutes, talking to you."

Haldir knew that a bit of a lie since he was trying to knock some sense into the elf.

Legolas placed a hand on his face as he looked around the room to see various things scattered around it... and his sister was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Nanaylia? What has happened to her?" Legolas demanded to know as he began to try and climb to his feet.

Yet Haldir kept him sitting in the position he was in and sternly looked at the younger elf.

"You honestly do not remember what happened in here?" Haldir wanted to make certain. "What is the last thing you remember?"

Legolas shook his head and Haldir could see the sincerity, and confusion, in the elf's eyes.

"Well, I remember talking to Aragorn not too long ago. You arrived and told me that my sister requested to see me. I came here and walked inside to see her by the bed. Soon after that, it begins to blur. The next thing I remember clearly is seeing you here next to me, the room like _this_," Leolas explained, his eyes gesturing to the room. "Where is she? What has happened to her?"

Hadir sighed, knowing he would have to find out what he had done sooner or later. For a moment, he pondered his answer.

"The same place I'm going to be taking you right now: the healers," Haldir replied. "I can't even start to imagine the pain you're in right now."

He received a very shocked and worried look from Legolas as he helped the elf to his feet. Haldir began to help him down the hall to where the healers were.

00000

Nanaylia stumbled down the hallway, looking for someone to help her. She glanced down to see that Aragorn was hurrying down the hall, towards her. He must have seen her, she figured. She stopped and had to lean against the wall, sliding down it, causing Aragorn to run even faster towards her.

"Nanaylia? What happened?" he asked her as soon as he got closer to her.

He looked over her and saw that bruises were beginning to appear on her face and arms.

"Who did this to you?" demanded Aragorn.

"You would not believe even if I told you many times," Nanaylia told him in a quiet voice.

"How can you be so certain about that?" wondered Aragorn as he began to help her back onto her feet.

As soon as she was and they were heading down towards the healers, she looked at him with a sigh.

"Because it was Legolas that did this to me," she replied.

That caused Aragorn to put on a look of shock as they came to a door. After a knock, they heard a 'come in' and he helped her inside. An elf hurried over to them and both he and Aragorn helped Nanaylia into a chair.

"We can take over from here," the elf told Aragorn.

The man nodded before heading out the door. He was very confused with what Nanaylia had told him.

_'I have have known Legolas for some time now and Nanaylia for fifteen years. All the time I have been around them, he has always cared about his sister. He would never even think to harm her in the slightest,' _Aragorn thought to himself. _'What is going on here? Ever since the mines, he hasn't been himself. He's been obsessing over the fact his sister followed him. He continues to say she should not have followed us. Why?'_

He figured he wouldn't be getting an answer from Legolas for some time but he soon heard someone else coming down the hallway. He turned around to see Haldir helping an obviously confused Legolas down the hall. The Mirkwood elf had a hand up to his face and the look on his face had great worry as well as confusion.

"What happened?" Aragorn wanted to know.

"I will explain after a time," was Haldir said before heading into the room.

00000

Haldir walked out of the room moments later to find Aragorn still waiting for him. The man's arms were crossed and he obviously wanted some answers.

"What happened between them? I have never known them to fight," Aragorn wanted to know.

"At least no serious 'fights'. They've had their minor quarrels in the past before but I have never known them to get into a fist fight before or any other physical confrontation," Haldir explained. "I cannot explain it but something has happened to Legolas. I won't know until the elves in there finish with what they are doing."

"So what did you come upon in her room?" Aragorn asked as they continued to wait outside the room.

"They were arguing, apparently over Nanaylia following them or something like that. Then the fists began to fly. When I opened the door, Nanaylia was on the ground, being pinned down by her brother. She couldn't escape," Haldir explained. "What happened after that, disturbs me greatly still and probably will for a while."

Aragorn became worried at that last statement. He gulped once before deciding to open his mouth again.

"What happened after you intervened?" Aragorn finally managed to say.

"In short, he doesn't remember what he did after he found his sister on the floor next to the bed. He doesn't remember the ensuing argument or the subsuquent fight with his sister, something which he very worried about. He knows he doesn't literally fight with his sister in any condition. He would never think of hitting his sister. Never in his lifetime or hers," Haldir explained. "Something is wrong with him and I want to know what it is."

Aragorn nodded as he stared at the door which Legolas and Nanaylia were both behind. He wondered how this was going to change their relationship, if at all.

_'What is going on here?' _Aragorn wondered as he continued to stare at the door. _'I wonder if they can find what is the matter with him?'_

TBC...


	13. Much Curiousity and an Explanation

Legolas groaned as his mind decided to stir. He opened his eyes and looked around the room for... someone. He was still unsure what happened as his stare soon came to his sister, who was lying on the bed next to him. He didn't remember much after he arrived into the room.

_'Perhaps they gave me a sedative and they gave her one as well,' _he thought to himself as he struggled to his feet.

He clumsily walked over to where his sister was calmly sleeping and looked over the bruise that now covered her eye. He could feel the bile rising in his throat at the bruise on her cheek. He could also see the bruises on her arms in the shape of fingers and he had to turn away for a moment.

_'Did I do that?' _he asked himself. _'What made me do that? I do not understand this for I never could do such a thing before. Is it because she followed us? I keep telling myself it is not but what should I believe? I wish I knew why I attacked her. What is happening with me?'_

He turned around at the opening of the door to see an elf walk into the room. The elf was a bit surprised to see that Legolas was awake. He hurried over to Legolas' side.

"How are you feeling?" the elf asked.

"I... I don't know how I feel. _This_ happened and I am unsure what to think about it for it has never happened before," Legolas stuttered.

The elf nodded in response as he knelt beside them. He checked her over as she began to stir. Nanaylia opened her eyes and looked at the two standing beside her. The elf noticed that Legolas placed a hand over his ribs.

_'I should have figured they still hurt,' _the elf thought to himself. _'I wonder if he has been trying to hide it from me?'_

"Legolas," she quietly said as she lifted up a hand.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, taking the attention off of him.

She nodded as he took her hand. She could read his eyes and they were saying 'I am sorry.'

"I will be fine," she told him as though she were reading his thoughts.

She climbed to a sitting position and looked at the other elf in the room. He nodded, silently telling her that everything would be alright at the time. He stood up and left the room. The siblings were soon looking at each other.

"Legolas, I would like to talk," Nanaylia told him.

"Certainly. Talk away," Legolas replied, as he keenly waited to hear what his sister wanted to say.

"No, not here. Outside. I would like to have some air. I suppose you do as well," she replied.

He nodded as she stood up and he followed her outside. He wanted to get some air himself and he figured this as a good time as any.

00000

Boromir looked over the scene before him, at the hobbits and dwarf. He had seen when the elf had walked up to Legolas and Aragorn, after which Legolas disappeared. The man wondered why Legolas left in such a hurry.

"I still wonder why that other gargoyle was after Legolas and why . I do not fully understand that situation and I wish someone could explain what was going on there. But I cannot think about that now. I am unable to rest and concentrate on that," Boromir quietly said to himself.

He never noticed that Frodo was looking over at him with a curious look on his face.

_'What is going through his mind?' _Frodo wondered. _'I wonder about him? As I wonder about the gargoyles.'_

He looked in the direction that the elf had gone in and sighed. Aragorn left soon afterwards and wondered why he left to go after them.

_'I wish I knew more about what happened between them. I wish I knew the entire story about what happened between them,' _Frodo thought to himself. _'I simply wish I knew when they would tell us what was going on. If not them, someone who knew about it and was willing to tell us. But who knows the truth?'_

He watched Sam, Merry and Pippin as they prepared for bed. He was a bit tired himself but he didn't want to sleep at the same time. He had heard many things that didn't make complete sense and he was hoping to make some sense of it.

_'May as well go to sleep. I don't think I'm going to get any answers tonight,' _Frodo thought to himself.

He prepared the pillow and soon fell asleep once his head hit it.

00000

Legolas followed his sister down the path. He noticed where they were headed: to the area they called 'their own' while they were in Lothlorien.

"Why are we headed here?" wondered Legolas, believing he knew the answer but wasn't certain.

"What we have to talk about is between the two of us, not the others. They cannot hear what we are going to be talking about," she replied.

"Ah yes, that is right," Legolas said, realizing what she wanted to talk about.

They reached the pond and both sat down next to it. Legolas glanced over at his sister and sighed.

"What is it that you desire to talk about?" he asked.

"I want to know about what happened earlier," she replied. "I'm not angry with you. I just like to know what was happening with you. You have never acted like that before towards me."

"I really do not understand it myself. I don't remember the argument or the attack on you," Legolas replied as he turned away from her.

Nanaylia narrowed her eyes as she watched him. Something nagged at the back of her mind. Something slightly familiar about the whole situaton.

_'What did Shentree do to you Legolas?' _she asked herself.

Legolas turned back towards his sister, not knowing what to say.

"If Haldir hadn't have come, I don't know how far it would have gone. I'm afraid that I would have hurt you to the point that you would have lost the baby," Legolas replied as he placed his hand over his eyes.

Suddenly, he gasped out and fell to his knees. Nanaylia hurried over to him and looked over him. She soon came to the wound on his shoulder. She saw that it was wrapped up with a bandage but she figured his injuries must still hurt him. She also remember about his ribs.

"You will be fine Legolas. Your injuries will heal during our stay here," she quietly told him.

"I will leave with the Fellowship when we are ready," Legolas told her as he leaned against a tree. "You will stay here, in Lothlorien. I cannot afford you losing your child because of me. I thought I caused your death all those centuries ago and I was not to blame in the least. I do not want to lose a family member again, particularly one that has not had a chance to live yet. I would love to have a niece or nephew."

Nanaylia gave him a sad smile as she continued to stare at him. Whatever was nagging at the back of her mind was bothering her greatly but she couldn't place what it was. Something about her brother's current predicament. With him acting so strangely, she couldn't place it.

"Come on Lego, let us get some sleep. You need it. I miss Gandalf just as much as you do," she told him in a soothing voice.

He nodded before continued to lean against the tree and fell asleep.

00000

Aragorn walked down the hall, with Haldir by his side. Both were still confused over what happened between the Mirkwood siblings.

"What would have caused the confrontation between them? I never thought that Legolas would attack his sister," Aragorn wondered.

"Had Shentree done anything to him while she was with you?" Haldir asked.

"No, not really," Aragorn replied.

"Not really?" Haldir repeated as he stopped to look at the man. "What did happen?"

Aragorn also stopped and stared at the elf.

"I remember the incident that happened just before we headed into the mines. Shentree attacked Legolas and it ended with him getting a face full of dirt. Ever since then, he hasn't been quite himself. He's almost become obsessed with the fact that Nanaylia's followed us. I don't think it's anything important but I just thought I'd mention it," Aragorn replied. "Now this attack, by none other than himself, on his sister."

"Sometimes, it's the minor details that one should take notice to," Haldir told him.

"What?" Aragorn asked as he stared at the elf.

"You say Legolas acted like this since the mines. Has he said or done something and then it seems like it never happened?" Haldir wondered.

Aragorn searched his brain to see if he could remember any other incidents.

"I think so, yes. After our conversation, it seemed to me as if none of it happened to him. He was his protective self when we were faced against the cave troll," Aragorn replied. "And when Shentree attacked us again just outside the mines. This does not make any sense. How could he be so spiteful in one instant and not in the next? Could it be something that Shentree had done?"

Haldir placed a hand on his chin as he listened to the man.

_'Could she have tried to do that? No! She couldn't have! Or could she? I remember Banside saying something about that. About doing that to me. Could that be it? I won't say anything in order not to arouse anyone's suspicions until I know something for certain,' _Haldir thought to himself.

Aragorn stared at the elf's pensive mood.

"Haldir?" Aragorn said. "Would you happen to have any idea on what's going on?"

The elf snapped out of his trance and smiled as he looked at the man before shaking his head.

"No, I do not," Haldir replied but Aragorn could see that something was going on in the elf's mind. "At least not at the moment. Shentree could have something to do with it but we won't know until a later date."

Aragorn was surprised as he watched the elf headed down the hallway. The man was not expecting to hear something like that at all.

00000

Frodo awoke with a start. He glanced around at the others to find they were still asleep.

_'I guess she wants only me,' _he thought to himself as he quietly climbed to his feet.

He headed to... somewhere. He wasn't exactly certain where he was going until he saw Galadriel heading down a set of stairs. He began to walk down the stairs that were before him until he reached the bottom. Galadriel had reached for a jug and filled it with water. She walked over to a pool and looked over at him.

"Will you look into the mirror?" Galadriel told him.

Frodo could see a look of question in her eyes. It almost appeared to him that she wanted to say something but she didn't know if she should say it. or not.

"What will I see? Frodo asked with question in his voice.

Inwardly, he was hoping to see answers about the gargoyles but he didn't think he would ever find out about them.

"Even the wisest cannot tell. For the mirror shows many things," Galadriel replied as she began to pour the water. "Things that were. Things that are. And some things that have not yet come to pass. I know you desire to know more about the gargoyles young Frodo. Even the ones who know their ways the best cannot predict what they are going to do next. For they are the most unpredictable creatures in Middle Earth."

"I know of no one who knows anything about the gargoyles except Legolas, Nanaylia and Aragorn," Frodo told her.

"Yes, those three. Yet there is one that I know that knows more than them yet. I will explain further in a moment," Galadriel replied as Frodo stepped closer to the mirror.

The hobbit stepped forward and hovered over the mirror. Faces and scenes began to appear before him. Horrifying scenes of his home being overrun and his friends being injured. He was being so alarmed by the pictures before him that he fell backwards onto the ground, grasping the ring from it's position around his neck.

"What was that?" Frodo wanted to know.

"I know what it is that you saw. For I saw it in my mind," Galadriel told him before closing her mouth. _"It is what will come to pass, if you should fail."_

Frodo gave a look of disbelief and Galadriel saw this.

_"The Fellowship is breaking. It has already begun. He will try to take the Ring. You know of whom I speak,"_ Galadriel told him in his mind. _"One by one, it will destroy them all. It can break down the walls of even the strongest of wills."_

"_If you ask it of me, I will give you the One Ring," _Frodo told her as he held it out to her.

"You offer it to me freely," Galadriel said, a bit of surprise in her voice as she began to step before him. "I cannot deny that my heart has greatly desired this."

She reached her arm out towards him before she lifted her arms out towards her side.

"In place of a Dark Lord, you shall have a queen. Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the morn! Treacherous as the seas! Stronger than the Foundations of the Earth! All shall love me and despair!" Galadirel suddenly cried out as her appearance changed.

She soon turned back to her original appearance and her body shook.

"I passed the test. I will diminish and head into the West. And remain Galadriel," she said before turning her head.

"I cannot do this," Frodo quietly told her, bowing his head a little.

"This task was apoointed to you. If you cannot find the way, no one will. To bear a ring of power, is to be alone," Galadriel told him, a smile slightly creeping onto her face.

Frodo nodded before turning his head away from her.

"What about the gargoyles? Will I have any threat from them?" Frodo wondered as he looked at her once again.

Galadriel sighed for she knew that he was waiting for an explanation. She knew what he overheard in the Mines.

"No, you will not. The gargoyles you recently met are not as they appear, as you might already know. Shentree is a gargoyle but she is only after Legolas and Nanaylia, the children of Thranduil, King of Mirkwood," Galadriel explained. "They traveled into a dangerous part of Mirkwood and escaped from it. Shentree has hated them for it ever since."

Frodo nodded slightly, now understanding the gargoyle's distaste towards Legolas.

"That still does not answer all my questions," Frodo replied.

Galadriel sighed as she lowered her head slightly.

"A few says after Legolas and Nanaylia went there, they went riding with their father. While there, they were attacked by wolves," Galadriel replied. "If you look into the mirror once again, I hope some of the rest of your answers will be explained."

Frodo cautiously walked back up to the mirror. He stared into the moving water to see a picture of Legolas come back up before him. It changed to a younger version of the elf. He also noticed a younger version of Nanaylia appear before him. The scene changed to where Legolas, Nanaylia and their father were trying to get way from the wolves. He saw how the two siblings were soon forced over the hill and they fell down to the bottom of it. He watched as three gargoyles arrived on the scene. One, he recognized as Shentree. The gargoyle picked up the female elf. She looked around the scene as did the other two.

_'Where's that other one? The two of them did come down here!' cried Shentree._

_'I don't know! I think he disappeared! He musthave managed to run away somehow!' replied one of the two other ones._

_'Well, one way or another, we have to leave without him! Their father will probably be coming after them. We got her, that should be good enough for him. I wish we could do what we planning to both of them instead of just one. I can't wait to see how they will react,' Shentree smirked as the three headed into the protection of the forest._

Frodo watched as Legolas' body was found and taken back to his home. The mirror changed the scene to that of the three gargoyles. The female elf was with them and so was a strange male elf.

_'You have one of them. Good. Now where's Legolas?' the elf asked._

_The three gargoyles glanced at each other before Shentree stepped forward as the other two stayed back. _

_'We couldn't find him,' she replied._

_'What?' the elf asked. 'Why didn't you get him? We were supposed to turn them both against their father! Turn them both into gargoyles was our original plan. Looks like we will have to change our plans slightly.'_

The scene changed to that of the twins, Aragorn and Legolas. He watched as the three traveled into the forest and confronted the now group of four gargoyles. He soon began to see snippets of what happened: namely of when Elladan hit Narcissis in the shoulder with an arrow and the death of Manlin by Legolas' hands. He saw Elrond taking care of Narcissis' shoulder injury while reading a book.

The scenes disappeared completely and Frodo looked up at Galadriel.

"Now you know. Nanaylia was taken captive by these gargoyles and turned into one herself with no memory of her previous life. 15 years ago, Legolas, the twins and Aragorn traveled into the forest to find four gargoyles instead of three. From there, events were set into motion that led to finding Nanaylia, whom Legolas and Thranduil believed to be dead the entire time," Galadriel replied.

"Things make more sense now. This elf planned to turn both Legolas and Nanaylia into gargoyles but only got her. Legolas believed that she was dead. He traveled back to the place where he managed to get out of once before. From there, that one elf plans to take control yet Legolas manages to kill him. They realize that the one new gargoyle with Shentree is in fact Nanaylia," Frodo said. "Now it makes sense to why Narcissis acted so differently than Shentree. She wasn't a true gargoyle!"

"That is correct. Yet there is something you should know. When Nanaylia was changed back into an elf, some of the magic that was placed into her body remained. Now, it remains as her curse."

Frodo glanced down to the ground, trying to take in what he recently learned about the elf.

"There are things in this world that we cannot explain. By simply doing one act could change the course of someone's life. Even the smallest person could change the course of the future," Galadriel told him. "Now go back to sleep. There is much to talk about in the duration of your stay."

Frodo sadly nodded before heading back to where the others were sleeping.

TBC...


	14. Preparing to Leave

Legolas glanced over at the other members of the Fellowship. He found that whatever was happening to him, was slowly fading away and almost completely disappeared. He couldn't understand it nor could anyone else but he realized that it could come back at any time. H hoped it wouldn't though.

_'I still wish I knew why I attacked my sister,' _he thought to himself as he continued to look around the area.

He remembered telling his sister that she was going to stay behind in Lothlorien with Galadriel and Celeborn. He remembered how the next morning, she wasn't taking it too well after he told her he was being serious about it. The scene replayed in his mind over and over again.

_'Why are you doing this?' wondered Nanaylia._

_'Nanaylia, you are with child. I cannot allow you to risk yourself further because of me. You've already gotten shot in theshoulder before because of Elladan,' he told her as he prepared his belongings._

_She started to open her mouth but he managed to stop her before she said anything._

_'I know what you're going to say. That it wasn't anyone's fault. I remember how you were trying to persuade me about things while you were still a gargoyle,' Legolas told her._

_'I cannot believe that you are telling me to stay behind. What if Shentree decides to attack you again?' she had to ask him as she watched him continue to walk around the room._

_'I can do it because I am able to. And so does Galadriel, Celeborn and Haldir. They worry for you, not only because of your unborn child but because of you! They just don't want the wrong person to find out the truth about you, that is all,' Legolas replied as he finished with his belongings. 'If Shentree were to show her face again, Aragorn and I can deal with her.'_

_Nanaylia simply stood in the same spot as Legolas started to walk towards the door. _

_'Legolas,' she finally said._

_'What is it Nanaylia?' Legolas asked her._

_'Please, come back,' was all she said. 'I have a bad feeling that something is going to happen so watch your back.'_

_Legolas had to give a small smirk as he looked over at her._

_'Nothing is going to happen Nanay. At least nothing serious enough that I won't be able to come back. I won't leave you,' he told her._

_'Like I did to you,' she sighed._

_'That was against your will. Nothing will stop me from seeing the newest member of my family. Nothing,' he told her before heading out the door._

Legolas could do nothing but think about it.

_'I have to wonder what she meant by that? She has a bad feeling about something that was going to happen,'_ he thought to himself. "I better take it seriously. Who knows what will happen?"

He walked down the path only to sense someone behind him. He turned around to see Haldir standing there, with a worried on his face.

"What is the matter Haldir?" asked Legolas as he walked closer to the elf.

Haldir cautiously watched the Mirkwood elf. He backed away from the elf a few steps and Legolas saw this, giving a disbelieving laugh at it.

"Haldir, what is wrong? Why are you acting like this? It seems as if you don't trust me anymore," Legolas wondered.

Haldir did nothing but stare at the younger elf standing before him for a moment. He studied Legolas carefully, hoping he could notice something, anything, with the elf that seemed out of the ordinary.

"It's as if I've changed completely since the last time we met. I have not," Legolas told Haldir as he took another step towards the older elf.

"Maybe you have," Haldir said in a mysterious manner.

Legolas narrowed his eyes as he thought about the strange phrase. Haldir gave a sigh before deciding to turn around. Legolas quickly hurried up to Haldir and stood in front of him, stopping him.

"Tell me," Legolas demanded to know.

Haldir sighed as he looked anywhere but at Legolas.

"Tell you what?" Haldir asked, trying to show Legolas that he didn't know anything.

"Tell me what you know," Legolas told him.

"Legolas, I am unable to confirm or deny anything. I am not accusing you of anything nor am I trying to say that you are anyone else other than Legolas, son of Thranduil, brother to Nanaylia and prince of Mirkwood," Haldir replied.

Legolas became very suspicious with Haldir's actions. The elf figured that Haldir knew, or was suspecting, something that concerned him. Whether it was confirmed or not, it looked like Haldir wasn't going to be telling him anytime soon.

_'Is he going to tell me before I leave? Or is he going to tell my sister of his suspicions after I do? Maybe even his Lord and Lady,' _wondered Legolas as he continued to watch Haldir.

Haldir began to walk away, wondering about several things, the main being about Legolas.

_'He has changed since the last time I saw him all those months ago in Mirkwood. I cannot place what it is but there is something different about him. What is it?'_ Haldir thought to himself.

He soon stopped and looked up at the trees before him.

"Maybe I should go talk to Lady Galadriel. She could have some insight on this theory that I have," Haldir suddenly said before hurrying off into the woods.

00000

Aragorn looked over at the hobbits as they prepared to leave. He was continually on the lookout for Legolas for he didn't know if when something was going to happen again. He noticed that the elf seemed better since the incident concerning his sister in her room but there were still a few minor occurences of Legolas not acting quite himself.

_'It seems to have diappeared. Maybe there is not longer a need to worry about him,'_ Aragorn thought to himself.

He turned around to see Legolas heading towards the group. He appeared to be a bit upset with something so Aragorn decided to ask about it as the elf walked up to him.

"Legolas, what is the matter?" the man asked.

"Nothing," replied the elf, making a terrible effort in hiding the anger in his voice and face.

"This does not look like nothing Legolas. Tell me what's wrong?" Aragorn told before facing him.

Legolas sighed, deciding to tell Aragorn.

"It's Haldir. I feel he knows something that he is not telling me. I have only one idea on what it might be about but I can't see how it is," Legolas replied as he faced the ground.

"Your recent actions?" Aragorn wanted to confirm.

Legolas nodded.

"Do they know anything?" Legolas wondered, referring to the Fellowship.

"No, they do not. I didn't tell them anything. I felt it was your place to tell them, not me," Aragorn told him.

"Thank you," Legolas sighed.

"For what?" Aragorn asked, turning towards Legolas.

"For not telling them," Legolas replied as he made eye contact with him.

They gave each other a small smile before Aragorn thought about something.

"So, where's Nanaylia?" Aragorn asked.

"I'm unsure where she is. Once I told her that we were leaving today, she disappeared and I haven't seen her since. She's still a bit upset that I want her to stay behind in Lothlorien while Shentree still a threat to me," Legolas explained.

Aragorn placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"You'll see her before you leave here. I don't know her as well as others do but I have a feeling that she won't let you leave without saying good-bye first," Aragorn reassured him.

Legolas nodded, believing the man as he decided to take one last look around before heading towards the shore. Aragorn carefully watched him leave, still a bit wary of leaving the two of them alone after their recent incident.

00000

Legolas walked around the woods, hoping he would find his sister. He sighed for he couldn't find her anywhere. He wasn't certain if she knew that he was trying to find her or not.

He soon came to a clearing and saw a familiar figure sitting on the ground, her knees pulled up to her chest. He noticed there was a bow and quiver on a nearby table and figured that she must have been practicing. He knew that she wasn't the best archer in Mirkwood, but she could still be dangerous with them if the situation arose.

"Nanay?" he asked in a questioning voice. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine. I'm just glad that you're feeling better but I will still have to get over the fact that you're actually going to do this," she replied.

Legolas smiled before walking over to her and sitting down next to her. They looked at each other.

"I will be back. I can assure you on that and I will be back before your child is born," he told her.

"Promise?" she quietly asked.

"Promise," he replied. "I would like to stay longer and talk but the Fellowship is preparing to leave."

She nodded, understanding. She watched him as he stood up and began to walk away from her. She stood up herself and turned around to follow him until he decided to stop a few feet away from her.

Time seemed to slow for Legolas as he stopped moving his feet. Anger began to creep back into his eyes and mind as he turned around to look at his sister, who narrowed her eyes.

"Legolas?" she asked.

"Nanaylia, I still believe that your relationship with Elladan is what began the talk of the truce we were talking about on our way to Rivendell. Please, tell me one more time why the two of you were talking about something like that. I still don't believe that a truce is the best solution for them," Legolas coldly told her.

_'Is it happening again?' _she asked herself before managing to speak again. "We were talking about a truce so that the twins could get a a bit of a reprieve for a few visits or so. It wasn't going to last forever and I've already told you that!"

"For some strange reason, I do not believe you," Legolas replied.

Nanaylia stood still, unable to speak or move in fear of what her brother might say or do. Legolas' reply was reaching back for his bow and an arrow. She reached for her bow and arrow and the two soon had an arrow aimed at each other.

"It has to end here," Legolas told her.

_'Is this the end? He is so much better at this than me,'_ she thought to herself.

00000

Aragorn walked through the forest, still trying to follow his friend. He soon came to the same clearing as Legolas did and saw the scene of the siblings before him. He gasped as he hurried out of the clearing and up to his friend. Legolas must have sensed that the man was coming for he didn't flinch.

"Don't get into the middle of this Aragorn. They have to learn what it's like to be betrayed," Legolas angrily said.

"They? Who're 'they'?" Aragorn demanded to know. "And you don't have to do this."

"The two I'm talking about are right over there," Legolas replied.

Aragorn looked over at Nanaylia and narrowed his eyes.

"Your sister is the only one that's over there Legolas," Aragorn quietly said.

"That you can see," Legolas replied.

Aragorn pondered that response for a moment before thinking he knew the answer.

"Nanaylia, are you...?" he started.

"Yes, I am. I am with child. Elladan's child," she called over to them, knowing that Aragorn should eventually know.

Aragorn quickly turned to Legolas and placed a hand on the elf's bow.

"Don't do this!" Aragorn said.

"I have to do this!" Legolas replied before jerking the bow from under his friend's hand.

He aimed it back at his sister and drew the string back. In a moment, he soon found himself tackled from one side and he felt his body connect with the ground. He gasped slightly as he looked up. He saw Aragorn hovering over him and Nanaylia was running over to them.

"Legolas?" she asked, slight nervousness in her voice.

"What happened?" wondered Legolas as he placed a hand on his forehead.

"Why did you do that?" Aragorn asked the elf as he placed a hand on Legolas' shoulder.

"Do what? What did I do just now?" Legolas said with worry in his voice.

"You don't remember that either?" Aragorn questioned.

"If I did, I would tell you. I simply remember coming here to talk to Nanaylia. I was just about to leave and head back to the Fellowship when everything went dark. Next thing I remember is being pushed to the ground by you just now," explained Legolas.

Aragorn and Nanaylia glanced at each other, both thinking the same thing: that whatever happened to him before, happened again.

TBC...


	15. A Dangerous Threat Lies in the Shadows

Legolas had a hand placed over his eyes as Aragorn and Nanaylia stood on the other side of the room. They were talking to one of the healers, who was slightly concerned about the whole situation.

"I am unsure what is happening with him. This most recent incident was only brief compared to the other major one not too long ago but I am still concerned about it," the elf told the two.

"Do you think we should be concerned about it any further?" wondered Aragorn, slightly concerned about the quest.

"Though I feel he should be fine for the rest of your quest. It seems it is only active when he is around Nanaylia. If he leaves and she stays here, I believe that everything will indeed be alright and there will be no futher incidents like these," the elf replied as he looked between them.

Aragorn sighed as he gave a nod of the head. He glanced over at Nanaylia to see that she also agreed with what the elf had said, although not liking it very much that she had to stay behind.

"I will head back to the others and tell them that we will be leaving soon, if Legolas feels he is alright enough to head out," Aragorn quietly said before he started to head over to the worried elf.

Aragorn arrived at the side of the Mirkwood elf and knelt down enough to catch his attention.

"What now?" Legolas wondered.

"Are you going to feel alright enough to continue out on the quest soon?" Aragorn asked.

Legolas thought about his answer for a moment before nodding his head.

"Yes, I will be," he quietly replied before he managed to stand on his two feet. "We should leave. The others are probably wondering where we are."

He walked out of the room, leaving an obviously worried Aragorn behind.

"I don't know why I'm going to do this," he quietly said to himself.

"What?" wondered the elven healer.

"I'm going to let him continue, with or without what's happening. I don't know. Maybe he will get better because of it," Aragorn replied as he started to follow the elf out of the room.

"Though be very careful. For all we know, it just might be coincidental that it just so happened when he was around his sister. He couldeasilyhave another attack," the elf called after Aragorn.

Aragorn acknowledged the statement as Nanaylia watched them and sighed as the elf standing next gave a glance over at her.

_'Maybe he's right. Maybe if he's away from me, whatever is happening to him will get better. All I want for him at the moment is to get better,' _she thought to herself.

00000

Galadriel gave each member of the Fellowship their gift just before they prepared themselves for the trip down the river.

She carefully watched Legolas as he placed the bags into boats. She sensed something different in the air around him but she couldn't place what it was as Celeborn walked up behind her.

"What is the matter?" he asked her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Something is very different about him. I cannot place it but there is," she replied.

She glanced over to a nearby tree to see that Nanaylia was standing behind it. Celeborn followed her gaze.

"We shall talk later. I have to talk to a certain young princess," Galadriel replied. "She is going to be very upset about this."

Celeborn watched her head back inside as he stayed behind to moniter what was going on with the Fellowship before they left. He soon walked over to Aragorn to tell him something.

00000

Nanaylia looked out the window as a knock came to the door. She heard the door open as soon as she said 'come in'. She didn't have to turn around to know it was Galadriel.

"Nanaylia, I have sent a messenger out to contact your father. I feel that he should know where you are right now. He will probably want to take you back home. Haldir has expressed concern about your brother but I fear that if anything should appear, it will be soon," Galadriel told her.

The younger elf nodded, half not paying attention.

"I worry about him so. I am also expressing my concern over Legolas. Something is definitely wrong with him. I have this nagging feeling that I should know what it is but I cannot place it and it worried me more than usual," she quietly replied.

Galadriel nodded, deciding to allow her to have some privacy. Galadriel walked out of the room and turned to the guard outside the door. She told the elf to remember what she told him. The elf lowered his head, indicating that he understood his duty.

_'You probably know that Legolas worried for you Nanaylia. As you do for him. But I worry more for you both at the moment,'_ Galadriel thought to herself as she hurried away from the room.

00000

Galadriel walked into her room to meet up with her husband, who lowered the book he was reading as he glanced over at her.

"Something bothers you my dear," he told her in a 'matter-of-factly' sounding voice.

"More than you realize Celeborn," Galadriel sighed.

Celeborn placed the book on a nearby table, carefully watching her as he stood up and walked over to her, a worried look on his face.

"What concerns you?" he demanded to know.

"Legolas. Outwardly, he is fine but something burns dim inside his body, unseen to all others. As he and the rest of the Fellowship head forward in their quest to destroy the Ring, another battle rages on, unknown to all, including me. What it is, I cannot tell yet. Nanaylia, in the back of her mind, has an unknown fear that something will happen to her brother because of Shentree and I fear that she is correct. She detests the gargoyles and so does he but that cannot help them against anything they do," Galadriel replied.

"Legolas is not a child anymore..." Celeborn started as he walked up behind her.

"I know he isn't and neither is Nanaylia. But we all know the gargoyles are still a threat, whether they be together or even apart. After what happened to Haldir a few months ago in Mirkwood with Banside and now this with Shentree, I fear that someday, they will reunite and attack Thranduil and his children if they survive this war," Galadriel explained.

"What are you fearing?" Celeborn asked.

"I fear that whatever is taking over Legolas, that it will come soon and it will not be nice at all. He will not be prepared for it. No one will be. I feel that when the time comes, it will simply take him over so quickly that he will not understand what is happening. I fear that Legolas, son of Thranduil, is in terrible danger," Galadriel replied as she looked out the window at the trees. "And there's nothing we can do to stop it."

The End (For now...)

Yeah, I know. Shorter chapter than some of the others. I also know that I left a few unanswered questions. In time, they will be explained. Most likely in the story that follows this called 'Sisterly Love'. (Don't know when it's going to be up now. Actually, I have no idea what I want to put up next. I've got a few stories I want to put up. But if any of you want me to put up 'Sisterly Love' next, let me know.)


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